Make sure you’re putting meat to be thawed on the bottom shelf, otherwise drippings could contaminate other foods.
GREENSBORO, N.C. — Your fridge is about to be very crowded with all the items for Thanksgiving dinner. 2 Wants To Know looked to consumer reports for a few ways to make space and keep your food safe.
“It’s also a good time to throw out anything that’s expired or purge things you know you’re not going to use before the end of the year,” said Paul Hope, Consumer Reports.
Less perishable items like relishes and cranberry sauce go on the side shelves or in the door, but milk and eggs should never be stored on the door. It’s not cold enough for them.
“On the top shelf, you want to keep raw, ready-to-eat foods, things like prepped salads or desserts, anything you don’t want to come into contact with foods on the other shelves,” said Hope.
The middle shelf is for dishes that are prepped, covered, and ready to be heated. As for the future star of your holiday meal, thaw your turkey, ham, or any other raw meats on the bottom shelf to prevent drippings from contaminating your prepared foods.
When it’s time to clear the table and pack up leftovers, instead of putting the whole dish in the fridge, separate food into smaller portions to help speed up cooling.
If you won’t eat your leftovers within three to four days, skip the fridge and freeze it!!
“To preserve freshness and quality of foods, you want to keep things airtight, so use products dedicated to that, like freezer bags,” said Hope.