The food lab better home cooking through science ( PDFDrive ) 82

• Vegetables, stored in breathable plastic bags or plastic
bags with the tops left slightly open. Broccoli, celery,
carrots,cucumbers,scallions,asparagus,radishes,turnips.
• Herbs. Parsley, cilantro, chives, thyme, rosemary, basil
(inthesummer).Iwashandpickmyherbsassoonasthey
gethome,thenstorethemrolledupindamppapertowels
inplasticzipper-lockbags.
TheFridgeDoor
The fridge door is the best place to store frequently used
itemsandthosethatdon’trequirethecoldesttemperature.

TheTopShelf
•Eggs—ifyougothroughacartonwithinafewweeks.
• Butter and frequently used cheeses . Cabot 83 unsalted
butter,inexpensiveDanishblue(loveitontoast),Brieand
othersoftcheeses.Butterstaysslightlysofterinthefridge
door,whichmakesiteasiertospreadontoast.Ifyoueata
lot of cheese, you might want to store it here as well, so
thatit’snotquiteascoldwhenyougrabit.

TheMiddleShelf
• Condiments in their original packaging or in squeeze
bottles if homemade. Ketchup, chili sauce, severaltypes
ofmustard,homemademayo,Japanesebarbecuesauce.
• Premixed vinaigrettes in squeeze bottles . Simple red
winevinaigrette,soy-balsamicvinaigrette.


TheBottomShelf
• Drinks. Whole milk, freshly squeezed pineapple juice,
pitchersofchilledtapwater,theoccasionalCheerwineor

Mexican Coke. Milk should go on a shelf in the main
fridge compartment if you don’t use much, but for daily
drinkers, the door is a fine place for it, as it is for juices,
sodas,etc.
TheFreezer
Everyone, of course, keeps frozen meats and vegetables in
thefreezer,butit’salsoanexcellentplacetostoreanyheator light-sensitive items that might go rancid. In my freezer,
aside from meat and veg, you’ll find nuts (which can be
toasted or crushed straight out of the freezer); cured meats
likesaltpork,bacon,andguanciale;driedbayleaves(Ibuy
theminbulk);chickenstockfrozenin1-cupportions;bread
crumbs; extra butter; yeast; sausage casings; whole-grain
flours(theycontainfatsthatcanturnrancidatroomtemp);
andfreshpasta,amongotherthings.
Herearesometipsforbetterfreezerstorage:
• Keep your vents clear. Make sure you don’t stack food
against the air vents, or you’ll strain the freezer, greatly
reducingitsefficiencyandefficacy.
• Transfer meat from its original packaging. To prevent
freezer burn as well as to freeze the meat as quickly as
possible(thefasteritfreezes,thelessdamageitwillincur
intheprocess),transferittoflatairtightpackaging.Bestof
allistouseavacuum-sealerlikeaFoodSaver,whichwill
completely eliminate the possibility of freezer burn. Next