The food lab better home cooking through science ( PDFDrive ) 81

thedrawer.Thekeyistomaximizeit,uptojustbelowthe
point that moisture would start beading up on the
vegetables’surfaces.
To give you an idea of good refrigerator storage
organization, allow me to take you on a little tour of my
fridge.Here’swhatyou’llusuallyfindthere:
TheMainCompartment

TheTopShelf
• Ready-to-eat prepared foods . Roasted red peppers,
jarred tomatoes, a can of white asparagus, sun-dried
tomatoes.
• Ready-to-eat condiments that I don’t use too often.A
variety of Chinese bean and chile pastes, curry paste, a
half can of coconut milk, cans or jars of tahini, harissa,
tomato paste, chipotles in adobo, olive tapenade,
anchovies.
• Pickledproducts.Dillspearsandchips,bread-and-butter
pickles,ramps,jalapos,capers,olives.
• Fridge-friendly fruits like apples, oranges, berries,
melons,andgrapes.

TheMiddleShelf
•Leftoversinsealedcontainers.Leftovermacandcheese,
a few pieces of roasted chicken, my dog’s food, braised
asparagus,pizzasauce,salsa.
• Cheese (in its original packaging or wrapped in


parchmentandstoredinasealedbaggie).Ahalfhunkof
goat’s-milkGouda,crumbledCotija,homemadeAmerican

cheese slices, sharp cheddar, a big hunk of Parmesan,
Gorgonzola.
•Eggsintheircarton.Ifittakesyoumorethanacoupleof
weeks to go through a carton of eggs, store them on the
back of this shelf, where it’s a little cooler to maximize
shelf life. Otherwise, you can keep them in the door
(despitewhatanyonetellsyou).They’llkeepforatleasta
fewweeks,eveninthisrelativelywarmerenvironment.
• Cold cuts and sandwich bread. Martin’s potato rolls,
Arnoldmultigrainbread.Slicedsandwichbreadwillkeep
fine in the fridge. However, lean breads like baguettes or
Italian-style breads should be stored at room temperature
orinthefreezer—therefrigeratorwillpromotestaling.

TheBottomShelf
• Raw meat and poultry, wrapped carefully and on a
plate. Ground beef, skirt steak, fresh pork belly, Italian
sausage.
•Rawfish,initswrapperandplacedonatray .Ibuymy
fish the day it’s going to be consumed, and you should
too—butseethetiphereifyoumuststoreitovernight.
• Milk and other dairy products . Heavy cream, sour
cream, cottage cheese, cream cheese, homemade crème
frche,buttermilk.

TheVegetableCrisper