Few things are more frustrating than reaching into the fridge for a carton of strawberries or a head of lettuce mere days after grocery shopping, only to realize they’ve somehow managed to go bad already.
But experts say it’s possible to stretch the life of perishable food by stocking your fridge strategically. Say goodbye to the days of shelving produce at random, and see how a revamp of your refrigerator can cut down on food waste and save you an extra trip to the supermarket in the process.
1. Get to know your fridge
“I am a big proponent of understanding one’s refrigerator variants and temperature,” said Sparsha Saha, a Harvard University lecturer who studies meat politics and food systems. “For instance, I have noticed the back of my fridge gets weirdly cold. So fresh produce, like lettuce, never goes back there.
Though most fridges are similarly built, your fridge will likely have its own cold and warm pockets depending on its age and manufacturer. Use those to your advantage, keeping delicate produce away from icy spots where it could get freezer burnt.
For those lucky enough to have a smart fridge — which can detect changes in temperature and humidity and even alert you when food is about to spoil — this will be an easy task. But if you can’t afford one (starting price is about $1,700), then think like a smart fridge: move older foods closest to the front so you remember to eat them first.
2. Keep your produce close, but your meat closer
Food specialists and behavioral scientists agree it usually makes sense to forgo the traditional places for common ingredients — produce in the crisper drawers, butter on a shelf in the fridge door — in favor of placing the most perishable goods directly in your line of sight. (A sort of refrigerator feng shui, as one behavioral scientist calls it.) However, don’t be so quick to push the fruits and veggies all the way to the front.
“Seventy-five percent of what we grow in the US is just animal feed,” said Saha. “It’s using up a lot of land, a lot of water, and because it’s so precious, we want to be really thoughtful in particular about the animal foods we’re using.”
So save a special spot for your chicken, pork, and beef — just remember to keep it on the bottom shelf to prevent drippage onto your other foods!
3. Water your greens
If your grandma didn’t already teach you this trick, sturdy vegetables like celery, carrots, and asparagus can be stored in a glass of cool water to keep them fresh for longer in the fridge.
“We do this with flowers, too. They continue to suck up that water and retain moisture to stay fresh,” said Emily Broad Leib, a Harvard Law professor and director of the Food Law and Policy clinic. Just like with cut flowers, change the water your veggies are sitting in every few days.
For leafy herbs like cilantro or basil, and other delicate greens, wrapping them up in a wet paper towel should have a similar effect. But for drier herbs like thyme, sage, and rosemary, Johnson and Wales University food innovation professor Joseph Melanson said he does the opposite, rolling them in a dry paper towel to keep excess moisture out.
“Those guys don’t need as much water in the tips,” he said.
4. Maximize your freezer power
“As a general rule, we can use our freezer for a lot of things we don’t usually use the freezer for,” Broad Leib explained. “I love keeping a loaf of bread in the freezer. It stays fresh for a really long time ... and that’s true for a lot of things, all those meats and seafoods.”
If you’re really on the fence about whether you’ll eat a certain food this week or next, Melanson said taking all produce out of its original store packaging and putting it in clear glass Tupperware can also make a major difference.
“Get rid of those plastic food bags or produce bags, because they create moisture inside and it deteriorates the shelf life of the produce,” he said. Better yet are the vacuum-sealed containers, which Melanson said can “double the shelf life” of produce, and make leftovers last longer, too.
5. Don’t dismiss the ‘smell test’
This may seem like risky advice, but Broad Leib said it’s important to distinguish between food that’s contaminated vs. spoiled.
“For most foods, the risks are of spoilage, which is going to be apparent,” she stressed. “It’s only a very small number of foods where the risk is hidden within the food.”
In the United States, where much of our food (including dairy products, juice, and eggs) is pasteurized, the odds of a tasteless, odorless bacteria appearing in your grocery items is low if they’re kept in the fridge.
Heather Billings, a senior waste reduction consultant at the Center for EcoTechnology, added that the sell-by date is just that: a date past which the food should no longer be sold, not an indicator of whether it’s safe to eat. If you’re on the fence, she said, use your senses: If the food is spoiled, you should be able to see, smell, and taste it.
Fresh Fridge FAQ
What if my kids (or I) want something different every day?
“It’s tricky, because from a health perspective, you want to expose kids to different flavors,” Broad Leib acknowledged. “I would say to think about the quantity you’re serving and whether there’s stuff you can hold back and prepare later, or just not serve so you can use it for a future meal.”
Saha also recommends making grocery planning a part of the family schedule, so if your child is really craving grapes after you just bought a pint of blueberries, you can pivot to a new fruit once the last one is finished.
This seems like a lot to keep track of. Is there an app for that?
Actually, yes! Broad Leib noted the US Department of Agriculture has a FoodKeeper app that lists recommended storage times for dozens of foods. Similar apps like Fridgely and Fridge Buddy allow you to scan receipts from the supermarket, and send alerts when food is close to expiring.
I tried my best, but the ____ in my fridge is about to go bad. Now what?
Never fear — you actually have more options than you think. If you’re confident you can use the ingredient in the next few days, and it hasn’t gone bad yet, Saha suggests sticking it in the freezer and writing a note to remind yourself to use it up before the end of the week.
Billings added that she frequently turns to the Zero Waste Cookbook for creative ideas on how to turn almost-spoiled produce into a bread, pie, or smoothie, and has had more than one “emergency jam-making session” when necessary.
And if all else fails, don’t be afraid to give your neighbors a little sugar... or fish, or broccoli! Saha said she always encourages people to turn to their communities in times of food excess.
Have a tip we missed? Share it with us below:
Ivy Scott can be reached at ivy.scott@globe.com. Follow her @itsivyscott.