This post is sponsored by Howards Storage World
Today I’m going to give you a tour of my fridge… funny of all the places, but this is one place in my home that is always organised. I find that keeping the fridge & freezer organised is one of my essential tasks. The benefits:
- Food won’t spoil
- Food will keep longer
- You can easily tell what food you have and what you need to buy
- Makes a quick busy cooking time so much quicker
- Preparing school lunches is quicker
Chopping and storing fruit and vegetables
It is well know that I like to cut up and store all my fruit and vegetables in containers. I have done this for so many years it’s now become a habit. I like that when I am in the busy process of making dinner the chopping is done or when I am feeling like a snack, I can grab some chopped watermelon rather than something sweet like a cookie, just because it’s convenient. I chop and store my fruit and vegetables either of these two ways:
- When I come home from a grocery shop I pack all the grocery items away and leave all the items I need to chop or put in a container on the kitchen bench. I open my containers cupboard and reach in to grab whichever container I need, have a grocery bag next to the chopping board for all my scraps and start chopping up the fruit and veg. This will take me about 15-20 minutes.
- When I don’t have the time to chop after my shop I put it all in the fridge and as I need to use the item I then chop it and put in the container then. This process frustrates me though as I prefer to have it already chopped.
What type of containers to use in the fridge
I have used many containers in the past, and if you are following along in my declutter challenge you would know I am struggling to keep my crockery and containers cupboard organised. I was using Tupperware FridgeSmart containers that are for the refrigerator only and when they weren’t in use and being stored in the cupboard they wouldn’t sit neatly into each other. I assessed my cupboard and realised that these containers were no longer working for me, I wanted to find something that I could use in the fridge for my chopped fruit and veg, freezer for chopped fruit and veg for smoothies or leftovers, microwave to defrost or reheat left overs, be dishwasher safe and sit tidily when not in use. It has taken me awhile, but I finally found a container (added not, sadly the VacSeal Containers are discontinued from Howards Stroage World).
What to chop
I chop just about everything, except fruits we eat whole like apples, peaches etc. But the main items I always ensure are chopped up are broccoli, cauliflower and watermelon.
This is all items I like to keep in containers in the fridge:
- broccoli, florets
- cauliflower, florets
- cucumber, cubed
- cherry tomatoes, washed
- capsicum, sliced
- carrot, sliced and diced
- cheese, grated and cubed
- red onion, sliced
- baby spinach, washed and dried
- grapes, washed and off stalks
- orange, peeled and diced
- watermelon, cubed
- ham
- chicken, poached and shredded
Also great for diary and meats. I buy a big block of cheese, grate half and cube the other half, so much cheaper than buying it cubed or grated.
Having the fruit already peeled and diced makes it so much easier to make a quick fruit juice for the kids after school
Stored but kept whole
I also store whole vegetables in the containers I find they stay fresher longer. I find it best to keep some carrots and zucchini whole as I often cook them sliced, diced or grated.
- Carrot
- Zucchini
In the fridge
It’s easy to see what’s in the containers because they are transparent. They fit really well in my fridge. The beauty is this range come in a range of sizes, so I do recommend measuring your fridge and then determining what size containers will best fit in your space. I removed a shelf from my fridge so it is easier to access all the containers.
Other items in the fridge
Now that I have my thermomix, I am making a lot of my sauces from scratch, such as mayo, salsa, beef stock, vege stock and tartare sauce. I am yet to venture into making my own jams, but I am sure this will come soon. I keep all my homemade condiments in the Vacuumsaver Colopots, which are airtight and will help to ensure the contents don’t spoil too quickly. They come in a range of different lid colours.
In my fridge I have 2 fruit and veg keepers. In the top one I store the whole fruits like apples, peaches, pears etc and in the smaller crisper I keep yoghurt and homemade custards.
We keep sauces in a handy condiment caddy, which fits perfectly in the top of the fridge (yes, did you know you are supposed to keep sauces in the fridge?). My kids each like different sauces so it’s great to grab the caddy from the fridge and place it straight onto the table.
In the Freezer
I’m trialling these Snapware Airtight Containers. As the containers I used to use in the freezer are no longer available for purchase, I wanted to find something that I can recommend. The snapware is great for the freezer or pantry and is microwave and dishwasher safe, airtight, leakproof and BPA free. I like that you can seal the container and it has an easy fliptop lid to quickly grab the food you require. I have 4 in my freezer, 2 storing biscuits and muffins and another 2 storing savoury lunchbox snacks. I place the food items straight into the containers unwrapped and they don’t dry out or get freezer burn.
I also keep all my packets of peas and corn in containers as I find they’re easier to store and stops the odd pea falling out. I keep whole frozen bananas in a basket to use in cakes and muffins and sliced banana in an airtight container for smoothies.
Hope you have enjoyed a tour of my fridge. Having it organised like this just makes it so much easier for me to pack lunches, make dinner and choose healthier snack options.
