Your kitchen is the heart of your home, and your fridge is at the centre of it. Make the most of the storage space available and the foods you're keeping there. We show you how to keep your fridge organised and clean, and will give you a rough idea of how long and where you can store your foods in it.

The fridge in general
Check the temperature of your fridge with a good thermometer. It should be below 5 degrees Celsius. Try to maintain this low temperature by keeping the door shut whenever possible and by placing the fridge away from other heat sources such as the stove or a sunny spot in the kitchen.

Always throw foods out if they start to smell or change in appearance. Look out for mould, a sure sign of spoilage, or other signs, like a slime layer on cold meats or discolouration, for example.

If you can, organise your fridge so that food types are grouped together. This will save time when you're in a hurry and will make it easier to do an audit of what you need to put on your shopping list.

And don't overload your fridge – cold air must be able to circulate to keep foods fresh.

Tip: Make a point of storing your fresh groceries at the back of the fridge. This way, you'll make a point of using the older foods before it expires.

The door
Let's take the fridge door from top to bottom:

Did you know that the egg cups in the fridge door isn't necessarily the best place to store eggs? Experts say that eggs should rather remain in their carton on a shelf in the fridge, where it's cooler.

Instead, this space can be used to store medications, like probiotic supplements (if those need to be kept cool), or small bags of nuts and seeds, which also stay freshest when stored in the fridge.

Many fridges have separate compartments where you can store cheese and small jars. It's a good idea to keep all your cheeses together. Just make sure that they're all individually wrapped and airtight. Cheese can give off and absorb odours.

Milk and fruit juice should be kept in the bottom rack of the door. By storing these beverages upright, you will avoid spills that can lead to bacteria build-up.

Storage guidelines:

Product	Refrigerator, unopened	Refrigerator, opened
Milk	see dates	5-7 days
Swiss, brick, processed cheese	2-3 months/date	3-4 weeks

* Source: Food and Drug Administration

The centre and top shelves
Dairy products, dressings, spreads, sauces, cream and convenience foods should be placed in the centre and top shelves.

Also store cooked foods on higher shelves. But don't put hot food in the refrigerator, as it will cause the inside temperature to rise.

Remember that mayonnaise, mustard and tomato sauce should go into the fridge after opening.

Also never place food in an open tin in the fridge – the metal is more likely to react with the food once it's open. Use airtight containers instead and throw the food out if you haven't used it in two or three days.

And remember that eggs should be kept in this part of the fridge.

Storage guidelines:

Product	Refrigerator, unopened	Refrigerator, opened
Casseroles, homemade	-	3-4 days
Soups and stews	-	3-4 days
Fresh eggs	3-5 weeks	-

* Source: Food and Drug Administration

The bottom shelf
Fresh meat, poultry and fish should be kept here. Make these foods the last ones to put into your shopping cart, and the first ones to unload in your fridge when you get home. Animal proteins spoil the most easily of all foods.

It's better to store meat, poultry and fish in the bottom shelf as the juices from these animal products won't have room to spill or drip onto other foods, contaminating it. Also try to store these foods as far back in the fridge as possible, where it's cooler.

Another good idea is to keep meat, poultry and fish tightly packaged in the store wrapping.

Storage guidelines:

Product	Refrigerator, unopened	Refrigerator, opened
Chicken, whole, uncooked	-	1-2 days
Viennas	2 weeks	1 week
Fish	-	1-2 days
Minced meat	-	1-2 days
Steaks and roasts	-	3-5 days
Pork chops	-	3-5 days

* Source: Food and Drug Administration

The salad drawer
Put fresh fruit and vegetables in the salad drawer as soon as you get home from the grocer. The salad drawer has a slightly higher humidity than the rest of the fridge, which is better for fruit and vegetables.

Note, however, that all fresh fruits and veggies don't keep equally well in the fridge. Some, like banana, pumpkin, garlic, potatoes and onions for example, are better stored outside in a cool, dry place.

Most fruits can be stored together. However, one piece of bad fruit will cause the others to go off sooner. A good idea is to keep fresh vegetables and fruits refrigerated in separate plastic bags. By doing this, they also won't absorb each others' odours.

Also note that you shouldn't wash vegetables before storing them in the fridge. And throw away any produce that has been kept too long, or if it has become mouldy or slimy.

Tip: To avoid "browning" of bananas, apples, pears and avos, lower the pH of the exposed flesh by dabbing it with a drop of lemon or orange juice.

- (Carine van Rooyen, Health24)

Click here for a visual guide on storing food in the fridge

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