A Q&A in the NY Times today answered a pressing issue we've had to deal with countless times: how do you keep your produce from freezing in the refrigerator? Once lettuce and other fruits and veggies freeze, there's no way to undo the damage, which can be really annoying. Finally, here are some clear answers to which areas of the fridge are coldest, and what tips really work for maintaining the integrity of your produce.
Some highlights:
- If you must use a shelf instead of the crisper drawer, avoid the rear, bottom, and left side of the refrigerator if you have a side-by-side (I added this last one from personal experience), as many fridges pipe in cold air from the freezer to cool and this typically comes in at the top rear of the fridge compartment.
- Optimal fridge temperature is 36-38 degrees, which you can monitor with a specialty thermometer. Best time to check is first thing in the morning or after any long period of not being opened.
- This has less to do with temperature, but oxygen is also a major factor in deterioration of produce quality, so wrapping tightly in plastic can help maintain its freshness. Guess there really is something to those Debbie Meyer Greenbags you see on the infomercials!
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