25 Surprising Facts About Fridge Larder Tips For Organizing Your Fridge Larder

A fridge larder is a great way to store produce that's beyond its best. You can also make use of smaller refrigerators and save money on energy costs!

It's a convenient place for storing provisions like eggs, bread and hard cheeses. Fresh herbs also benefit from a low moisture.

Keep It In Order

A fridge's larder can help reduce food waste and makes it easier to locate items while cooking. However, like any room in your home, the refrigerator can become messy and uncontrollable. Here are some suggestions to ensure that your refrigerator runs smoothly and neatly.

Take inventory

The most important part of organizing your kitchen is taking inventory, says Holly Blakey, a professional organizer at Breathing Room. "Take everything out and check the expiration dates. Clean all surfaces." Throw away expired food, throw or freeze leftovers and throw away any food items that aren't eaten before it spoils.

Blakey suggests placing the most frequently used items at the front of your fridge. Then, put those items that aren't often used in the back and back of your refrigerator.

Organize Your Freezer

If you have a chest-freezer you can arrange it using clear storage bins that will help you find foods more easily. Clearly label each bin and place similar items together. For instance, you can store a bin for condiments, another for sodas, and another for cheese sticks. You can also use a lazy Susan for condiments and other commonly used items to prevent them from being lost in the back.

In a side-by-side fridge, store foods that require the coldest temperatures in the back, and warmer items towards the front. The lower shelf is great for yogurt, milk, cream and butter (it does not melt). The crisper drawers are best for storing spillage of produce.

Drawer dividers make your refrigerator more efficient and are easy to install. They'll keep your vegetables and fruits from getting lost in. They will also stop the food from spoiling. Additionally, they'll help ensure that your drawers remain clean and organized. Another tip for your fridge is storing tender herbs in water to prolong their lifespan. Mason jars filled with one inch of liquid work well. You can also buy an herb preserver to keep in your refrigerator.

Keep it visible

Keeping your fridge organized will make it easier to find healthy foods that keep you satisfied and happy throughout the day. Make sure that all your lids and food containers are clean so that you can see what's inside. This will also let you know how many days you have left on the expiration dates, and prevent you from keeping food that is past its expiration date.

Get your fridge's larder started with a thorough cleaning by scrubbering the shelves, drawers and racks using warm water and dish soap. Give your refrigerator a good scrub to get rid of any crumbs and gross spills that may have been accumulating.

Make sure that your fridge is dry and clean. Start with the cheese and deli drawer -- that's where you should store your cheeses, meats leftovers, dairy products and other items. Then, move to the produce drawer. This is where you should store leafy greens because they wilt easily. Keep it at least three quarters full to ensure maximum freshness.

The pantry drawers in certain refrigerators is a great place to store storage of large bags of frozen vegetables and other food items that are bulky. It is also a great space to store condiments such as mayonnaise, mustard and ketchup and nuts and other canned items. Milk shouldn't be stored here since the temperature may fluctuate and result in it spoiling quickly.


The back of your refrigerator should be used for condiments, salad dressings and other jarred food items that will last for longer. Try using a riser to raise jars so that they are easier to read. This will save you from having to open and close the lid a few times, which will increase the longevity of your condiments.

Label each bin with markers or stickers that can be easily read. This will make it easy for your family to understand the contents of each bin and also for you to find the items you need. Labeled bins are a great method of decluttering your refrigerator and reducing the amount of plastic waste that you produce.

Keep it Cool

A fridge with a good larder can keep foods at the right temperature to avoid spoilage and to slow down the growth of bacteria. Larders are built into existing cabinets or can stand alone. They are usually placed on the north-facing side of your house to limit sun exposure and could also have additional insulation or an air-conditioning system to keep heat from entering the food storage area. They have thicker walls, fewer windows and generally are located on the north side of your house to limit the transfer of heat.

The larder should contain drawers for every type of food, such as meat and vegetables. Each drawer can be programmed to maintain the proper temperature. This will ensure that the chicken and burgers are cooked to perfection, however the salad greens will not get too damaged. You can also set the drawer in the larder to low humidity for any fruit or vegetable that release a lot of moisture such as cucumbers or tomatoes.

Other drawers in the refrigerator can contain items such as cheese -- fresh cream, hard and freshwrapped in paper, greaseproof or clingfilm so that you can preserve it for a longer time. Other items that can be kept in the refrigerator's doors include beverages as well as condiments that are not perishable (like ketchup) eggs, water, and other liquids. Milk should not be kept in the fridge doors, however - these shelves tend to be warmer and more unstable than drawers in other drawers.

To give your space a more sleek appearance, you can arrange small containers to make them easier to see. This is useful for family members who are traveling and require food. Labeling bins and shelving to show what should be eaten first may be helpful, especially when family members aren't used to reading labels!

A larder is also a great place to store leftovers and various food-safe plastic and glass containers for storage, which are perfect for storing smaller portions of ingredients. These containers are great for saving time and money while shopping. If you have a clean, tidy fridge with space specifically designated for storage of the items, it will be much easier to stay on top of your food budget!

Keep it fresh

The best tips for organizing your fridge reduce food waste by ensuring your good-for-you groceries last longer. Some smart strategies help keep your fresh food at the appropriate temperature and allow you to find what you have and where it is.

Crisper drawers are included in the majority of refrigerators. They alter airflow and increase humidity, thus extending the lifespan of vegetables and fruits. It is essential to use these drawers in a proper manner. If you mix greens with fruit, for instance, the ethylene released by the latter can cause the former to turn brown and spoil prematurely. Separating the different types of produce and storing them in the proper drawers is essential.

Door shelves are typically the warmest area of the fridge. They should be reserved for foods that don't require extra cold or special storage conditions such as jam, chutneys, jars of jam salad dressings, and long-life juices (anything bought in bulk with the same use-by date). The top shelf can be used to store beverages like milk and water that can be stored in a upright position.

Refrigerator drawers can be difficult to keep organized with items moving around and getting jumbled together There are simple tips to help. First, invest in refrigerator drawer dividers to keep the food items separate and prevent them from colliding against each one. It is also helpful to organize by height. Keep items of similar heights on the same shelf, and don't place items that aren't the same height adjacent to one another Raw meat shouldn't be stored in the same drawer as cooked Ham!

A thermometer is a important item to have for your fridge's larder. It's a low-cost, simple-to-use device that will ensure that the fridge is at the optimal temperature so your food stays at its safest and freshest.

Keep a supply in your refrigerator of plastic bags to store produce without a container. The bag's moisture stops vegetables from becoming rotten. And for herbs that would typically wilt in a matter of days, one of the best ways to keep them fresher longer is to wash them and place them in the glass of water which is as effective at retaining moisture as the plastic bag.