Make That Fridge Shine

Today is the day we’ve all been waiting for. It’s national Clean out your fridge day. Children around the world wait with bated breath for the moment the Fridge faeries bring them the gift of meatcake. But, seriously, it’s really time to clean out your fridge before whatever is in there turns up in something. This pseudo holiday was created by some advertising wizards at Whirlpool in the late ’90’s. And, it took off like a rocket (well, if you consider rockets to be things that no one knows about). The idea, though, is something we should all take to heart. Time to Make That Fridge Shine.

We have talked about the right fridge and what should be in it. But, in reality, what should be in your fridge, seldom is. Instead there is a scientists dreamscape of varying levels of decay across a wide variety of condiments and leftovers. This national day (of atonement) is a reminder to tidy things up. The “holiday season” is less than 2 weeks away. This is a good time to make some space for all the food that will pass through your fridge between now and the end of the year. While you’re at it, it’s time to do a little Marie Kondo and purge stuff that has gone long past it’s expiry date. You don’t have to literally Make That Fridge Shine. But, Getting rid of the moldies and the oldies is definitely a long overdue concept.

To make that fridge shine you don’t need to use Bon Ami.

In the classic Movie (that only 3 people remember), “The Ghost and Mr Chicken”, Three little ladies talk of bloodstains on an organ that were so hard to remove that Bon Ami didn’t even do the job. Frankly, I was surprised to find out that Bon Ami is still around today. It is a scouring cleanser that dates back to the 1880’s. At one time it was a household name. Now it has been replaced by myriad other cleansing products. So, pick your favorite cleanser or make a homemade solution . Frankly, I don’t really care what you use to clean your fridge. The important thing is you clean it today.

Beyond the obvious need to make space and remove the science experiments, cleaning out your fridge should actually be a routine thing. We shouldn’t need a national day to remind us of this. Your very health relies on maintaining a sanitary environment. But, we are human, cumin, and most of us are Americans. That means we don’t fear anything (even though we should fear everything). It’s the American way to ignore things that don’t pose an immediate danger, like that fuzzy growing, pulsating glob in the back corner of the produce drawer. The one that whispers your name in demonic tones.

A quick Guide on how to make your fridge shine

In a perfect world, you would be cleaning your fridge on a regular basis: Weekly or monthly. But, we live in the real world. So, how do we take a practical approach to cleaning the fridge? We dedicate a day to it. We need to treat it as a project requiring undivided attention for a couple hours of your day. But, once you have completed the “project”, maintenance becomes easier.

Step1: Remove everything from the fridge. Of course, this often requires a pre-step one step of cleaning a space in your kitchen to put everything. Just remember, once your remove things from refrigeration the time/temperature clock is ticking. So, there’s your incentive to get the project over with, fast.

Step 2: organize all your food. Put condiments with condiments, etc, etc. During this step, purge whatever is outdated or questionable looking.

Step 3: clean the interiors of the fridge. Most modern fridges have removable parts to clean in the sink. Make sure you get all surfaces top to bottom. And, be sure to use sanitizing solutions or wipes as a last step. Also, don’t forget to clean the door seals. Get in between the accordion parts of the seal to remove any bacteria that may be there.

Step 4: Re-organize. And, repeat with your freezer (I know, even more scary).

Where does this go?

Having a place for everything and everything in its place is the best way to keep your sanity. This may seem OCD to some. But, creating order and control in one’s life starts with order and control in your environment. The reason you just spent hours cleaning your fridge is because an errant product ended up as a space holder that never got filled with what should have been there. I’m not going to tell you that eggs go in the egg tray and cheese goes in the cheese drawer. You can put whatever you want, wherever you want. But, once you pick a space, that is the space for that item.

So, when that 1/2 drunk bottle of merlot ends up in the milk space, it’s time to correct some problems. 1) why is a bottle of wine only half drunk? 2) why is red wine in the fridge? 3) Maybe you don’t really need milk…4) what were we talking about? Oh yeah, your life is in total chaos, and anyone entering your kitchen can see what a mess you are on the inside because it shows in your environment.

Of course, we aren’t here to psychoanalyze (Or are we?). But, when it comes to getting yourself organized, the fridge is a good place to start. There are 3 things we all do: Eat, sleep, and Relieve ourselves. So, the Kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom should have systems. Milk goes in the same place, socks go in the same drawer, and toilet paper goes in the same place. So, do yourself a favor, create a fridge map.

The Fridge map

Most of us have some go to products that don’t change. But, we rotate other items. You don’t have the same produce all the time. Sometimes you have meat, other times it’s seafood or vegan items. So, unlike our society, your fridge should be segregated by classes of foods. That’s why they usually come with dairy, meat, and vegetable drawers. When you organize, just keep in mind sanitation principles. Foods cook to different temperatures in order to kill any potential bacteria. Store your food in order of cooking temperatures. So, pre-cooked foods should be stored above vegetables, which should be stored above seafood, over meat, over poultry. You can read more about sanitation and proper storage in our sanitation guide.

To really make your fridge shine, Create a map. Juice and milk in the door. High cooking temperature products in the bottom drawer. Beer, wine, and liquor in their homes. And, then, whatever else you have room for. Now that you have emptied your fridge, Don’t just fill it with crap. Mindfulness is a current trend. The same principles apply to your fridge. Do things for a reason and make every bit of space count. And make your fridge Shine.

What to do with all the crap in your fridge

Now that you have gotten to see what is in your fridge, it’s probably not all bad. You have a couple onions, carrots and celery that have seen better days. But, they aren’t ready for the compost bin. This is the perfect time to make a leftovers soup or stew. You can always send us a note. We can help you work with what you have. Email us at contact@onlycumin.com. In the meantime, here are a couple ideas for common things in your fridge:

1. Pot Luck vegetable soup. Start with onion, carrot, and celery. Add in garlic, Saute in oil. Add vegetable or chicken broth. Then add in whatever stray vegetables and potatoes are in your fridge. In less time than it takes to get dinner delivered, you can be eating a hearty meal that would have been thrown away.
2. Relive the seventies by making a fondue out of leftover cheeses and dairy. Simply melt all your cheese in cream or milk in a double boiler, season with a complimentary liqueur. Add in some spices like nutmeg and allspice. Serve with bread, fruit, Sausages, and veggies. Or, you could turn it into a mac and cheese.
3. Make preserves from leftover fruit. Make a simple syrup with sugar and water. cook whatever fruits are getting old in the mixture. Reduce to a thick syrupy consistency. Cool and save to use in sandwiches, on toast, or as a condiment for cheese.
4. Pickle your veggies. Heat vinegar, water, spices, sugar, and salt. Pour over cut vegetables. Cool, cover tightly, and allow to pickle for a few days. You can do everything from cucumbers to onions, to Cauliflower.

Make that fridge shine and stay safe!