Refrigerator. A useful and convenient tool for the conservation of food and drinks we usually use and we can no longer do without. But do we really know how to use it correctly?
Often our refrigerators are too full, set up on wrong or still used temperatures by inserting foods inside the shelves without criteria or foods that would not need to be chilled. Not to mention the fact that sometimes the fridge remains inadvertently open for an unspecified time and this can put the flavor and health of some foods at risk.
It is undoubtedly important to know the basic rules to best keep food in the fridge. We asked Serena Pironi, food technologist, to reveal all the secrets of the storage of food in the refrigerator and to give us some useful tips to avoid the most common errors.
What is the right temperature that a refrigerator must have?
The refrigerator should be set at 4 ° C, and at slightly lower than summer temperatures (2 ° C) to be sure that the most perishable foods are maintained.
How can we be sure that the temperature is correct?
Modern vertical refrigerators have an external display capable of detecting the temperature. If it is not present, a practical visual verification could be to observe the absence of condensing or ice on the internal walls of the refrigerator. Today, however, with a few dozen euros you can buy portable spillon thermometers, which can also be used to check the foods in cooking: putting the tool and waiting for a few minutes, see the real temperature detected. But be careful where you lead the measure: the ideal is to carry it out in the closest part of the counter, where the temperature is more difficult to arrive.
How does the temperature varied inside a refrigerator?
Is there a logic with which to arrange some foods rather than others on the shelves?
Today’s technologies allow you to find various solutions on the market, so it is always important to check the use and maintenance booklet of your appliance.
Usually the coldest section (4 ° C) is the one above the drawer of fruit and vegetables, therefore the one at the bottom; As you climb the temperatures of Alzano (up to ca 7-8 ° C).
In the coldest department the richest products of water must be placed, such as meat, fish, eggs. In the median departments other foods can be kept with a % of lower water, such as some types of stuffed pasta, stuffed products, fresh cheeses and open products to be kept in the refrigerator. In the upper shelf the products that tolerate temperatures up to 6-8 ° C such as aged cheeses, some types of salami and baking products can be stored.
Fruits and vegetables needing humidity, are stored in the special drawer, which has a temperature up to 10 ° C. In the stations inside the door there are temperatures that vary from 10 ° C-15 ° C, so in this area you can keep products that need a slight refrigeration, such as drinks and pasteurized sauces, as mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard etc.
What do you risk in case of incorrect food conservation in the home fridge?
The risk of not preserving the right temperature according to the indications shown on the labels of the packaging implies the non -achievement of the deadline shown on the product: in other words the food expires before. At higher temperatures, chemical reactions are triggered and microorganisms develop faster. The latter may involve alterations in color, flavor, in the smell, in the consistency as well as probable diseases transmitted by food if the charge is too high or certain pathogens have found ideal development conditions. But they could also be in the development phase and do not involve obvious changes in smell, color and flavor, but also be able to cause problems. For example, for example, strains in some packaging, symptom of proliferation of some microorganisms, including anaerobic ones, that is, which develop well in the absence of oxygen, such as clostridi, could appear. In the case of fresh fish, the level of the Istamine molecule could rise, capable of causing dermal or gastroenteric reactions beyond certain levels.
What to do if you realize you have left the refrigerator open a few hours?
If only a couple of hours have passed it is necessary to check the organoleptic characteristics of the products: I recommend consuming the fresh within the day, cook if possible the fresh, maintain fruit, vegetables and seasoned. However, if many hours have passed it is necessary to dispose of the fresh ones, cook the fresh if possible and eat the vegetables and seeds within 24-48 hours. Fruits and seasoned should be consumed shortly, but suffer less. It is clear that if we are in the summer, respect for the times is more important, considering the highest environmental temperatures.
Which foods should not be refrigerated?
Chocolate should not be refrigerated, because it ruins its sensory characteristics, and summer fruit and vegetables. Exotic fruit (pineapple, bananas …), citrus fruits (could become bitter), tomatoes, green beans, cucumbers, courgettes, fruit and vegetables do not mature do not require low temperatures. For example, potatoes must not be kept under 5 ° C because otherwise the starches present are transformed into sugars, contributing in the subsequent cooking phases not only to a sweet taste, but also to the greater probability of formation of secondary chemicals such as acrylamide. Obviously, all preserves and boxes intact such as jams, sauces, milk etc. Do not require refrigeration; Only after opening for maintenance are they placed in refrigeration conditions. They do not require refrigerator not even baked goods without fillings, dry pasta, rice, legumes/dried fruit, flour (they would take humidity and should be damaged) or salts, sugars, oils, aromatic herbs and dried spices; Indeed the bread put in the refrigerator becomes stale faster.
Can you have too full refrigerator damage the correct conservation of food?
A refrigerator crammed with products prevents cold air from steps between foods, affecting the maintenance of the set temperature. So there is a risk that some products are not kept well. Furthermore, it is necessary to pay attention to not putting hot foods in the refrigerator, because in this way the air would heat up and with it the other foods, as well as involving an effort of the engine of the refrigerator itself.
I also remember the importance of following the rule of the rotation of goods (FI-Fo method or what has entered first must be used first), carrying out what expires before, so as to prevent waste and avoid consuming foods beyond the deadline.
In light of what Dr. Pironi suggested to us, how many of you correctly keep food in the refrigerator?
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