Fridge freezer temperature settings: Tricks to Easily Extend the Shelf Life of Food

The refrigerators and freezers at home are just like a "magic box for food preservation". However, the key to making this magic work lies in the temperature settings, and there's quite a lot to it. Let's have a good chat about it today.

Firstly, you should know that a refrigerator is generally divided into a refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment. It's usually more appropriate for the temperature in the refrigerating compartment to be between 2 - 8 °C. If the temperature is set too low, for example, close to 0 °C, fragile vegetables like lettuce and cucumbers may get frostbitten. Their leaves will soon become soft and mushy, losing their original taste and nutrients. On the other hand, if the temperature is too high, the shelf life of some perishable foods like milk and yogurt will be greatly shortened, and they may go bad in just a few days.

For families with babies who need to store breast milk or baby food supplements, the temperature of the refrigerating compartment can be set at around 4 °C. This temperature can well ensure that the nutritional components of breast milk are not lost, and the baby food supplements can also stay fresh, allowing babies to eat healthily.The temperature of the freezing compartment should be even lower. Generally, it's best to be below -18 °C. This temperature enables meat, fish and other foods to be preserved for a long time. If the temperature is not low enough, the ice crystals in the food will repeatedly melt and freeze, which will damage the cellular structure of the food, resulting in a poorer taste and loss of nutrients. For example, a steak that was originally tender and juicy may become dry and tough like a piece of "wood" after being thawed if the freezing temperature is not set properly.

Do we need to adjust the temperature in different seasons? The answer is yes. In summer, when the ambient temperature is high, the workload of the refrigerator increases. At this time, you can slightly lower the temperature of the refrigerating compartment, for example, adjust it to 5 - 6 °C, so as to ensure the freshness of the food. In winter, when the ambient temperature is low, you can slightly raise the temperature to save some electricity without affecting the preservation effect.

Some refrigerators also have a variable temperature compartment, which is a really practical function. The temperature of the variable temperature compartment can be freely adjusted according to the type of food you store. If you plan to store some fresh meat for a short period and are going to eat it in a couple of days, you can set the temperature of the variable temperature compartment at around 0 °C. At this time, the meat won't be frozen too hard, it will be convenient to cut, and it can also stay fresh. If you buy a lot of fruits and are worried that they will go bad quickly, you can also adjust the variable temperature compartment to a temperature suitable for fruit preservation. Generally, 3 - 5 °C is good.

Besides these, there are also some tips. After each adjustment of the temperature, you can observe the state of the food for a few days. If you find anything unusual, adjust it in time. Moreover, don't stuff too many things into the refrigerator at one time, as this will affect the air circulation inside the refrigerator and lead to uneven temperature.

By setting the temperatures of refrigerators and freezers reasonably, we can easily extend the shelf life of food, allowing us to eat healthily and avoid waste. There's a lot of knowledge hidden in these small temperature settings!