Organizing the Refrigerator: My Plan

[NJCher]

I cleaned out a refrigerator today and reorganized it.

I found all these amazing, interesting items but I didn't know how to use them. Stuff like grape sauce (Mosto D'Uvo).

So here's the plan. I typed up a list of what's in the frig by shelf. Then when I need inspiration for something to cook, I can choose from the list and do a search for a recipe using that ingredient. In the above example with the grape sauce, I could only find one recipe at Epicurious but then I did a Google search and turned up the Mosto D'Ovo web site, which had many interesting suggestions.

In another case, I did a search for "sugar ginger" and turned up tons of interesting recipes.

Here's my list and how I organized it. BTW, I organized it by the way I could best preserve space, so that accounts for why you might see "basil pesto" in more than one spot.

Top back:

Basil pesto
Coconut juice
Capers
Cornichons
Garlic, roasted, minced
Peanut butter
Truffle butter
Walnuts, preserved

2nd Back:

Anchovy filets (2)
Basil pesto
Burke’s steak sauce
Cherries, sour
Chili paste (1), garlic oil (1), sweet sauce (1)
Dulce la leche
Flaxseed oil
Fat, duck
Fat, pork
Fish sauce for spring roll
Honey, raw (2)
Lemons, pickled
Lime relish
Peppers, hot in olive oil
Preserves: orange, raspberry, strawberry, strawberry balsamic, apricot, lemon and lime curd, white melon jam, pineapple
Soy dressing & marinade with citrus juices
Tomato chutney
Quince sauce


3rd Back:

Caviar
Chicken wing sauce (hot)
Cocktail sauce, red
Coconut oil
Ginger, sugar
Hoisin sauce
Maple syrup
Marinade, cabernet and roasted garlic
Mosto D’Uva (grape sauce)
Pumpkin chipotle sauce
Red pepper spread
Tahini
Walnut nut butter

As I use things up, I'll cross them off the list and re-print. Same thing goes for adding new items.

So what do you think? Usable?



Cher

[hobbit709]

1. There is NO such as an organized refrigerator.

At least not for more than two days.

[The empressof all]

2. I don't know about the list...I'm a disorganized slob BUT

Can I have what's in your fridge?

[Warpy]

3. It's all I can do to keep the black slime out of mine

and it's overdue for a cleanout as I sit here and kill time on DU. But my back is in spasm and the black goo will simply have to drip another day or two.

The mosto can be used beautifully in meat sauces as well as desserts. Traditionally, it was used to improve the flavor of plonk in Roman times and their cooks branched it out to include sauces for all sorts of meat dishes, with or without raisins.

My problem with the bottled stuff is a terrible reluctance to toss whole bottles of stuff I've tried and found lacking, like the bottled Thai peanut sauce I thought would be a shortcut to all sorts of Thai dishes and turned out to taste like wall paint.

[yellowdogintexas]

9. I probably have cures for diseases that haven't been discovered yet

growing in my refrigerator.

Remember: bread mold is the source of original penicillin.

[Duer 157099]

4. I was thinking of doing something similar

Yesterday, on the hottest day we've had in a looooooong time (over 100), my fridge decided to call it quits, or at least threaten to. Imagine the fun.

Fortunately, the freezer wasn't going for it, so I had to quickly transfer all my frozen stuff into an ice chest and get the fridge stuff into the freezer to cool it down. Still not sure how much of my fridge stuff will be rescuable, but the frozen stuff is all ok.

And boy there was lots of frozen stuff that I looked at and thought: am I EVER ever EVER going to eat that???

So I decided I should just start randomly pulling one thing from the freezer every day and make a meal around it. Or throw it out. Or give it to the dog.

[hippywife]

5. I got really, really tired

of stuff ending up on the back of a shelf and being out of sight, and thus out of mind, for months and months so a couple of years ago I solved that problem by removing the second shelf from the fridge. I only have the top shelf and the shelf that covers the crisper drawers. I can see most everything in the fridge now (nothing can now lurk behind the cheese drawer! LOL )and don't have to worry about room for tall things anymore.

I tend to keep jars of things like capers, pickles, condiments, etc. on the door. :hi:

[grasswire]

6. is the temperature different on the door shelves?

I've always thought so. I put things in the door that aren't going to suffer at a bit higher temp. Jelly, mustards, vinaigrettes, etc. I wouldn't put mayo type things there.

[hippywife]

7. I've never measured it.

I suppose it can fluctuate depending on how often the door is opened and for how long. But there are only the two of us and my husband usually just gets in there for iced tea or water, or his breakfast yogurt and fruit. I'm more likely to be in there to prepare meals. Neither of us tend to stand there with it open looking for something.

So, I do keep even the mayo type things on the door, too. It's not been an issue ever.

I would imagine if there were kids in the household, it could make a difference.

[spinbaby]

8. You need help

You clearly have a condiment addiction. I think there's a 12-step program for that.

[Dover]

10. A wonderful idea! I need a separate frig just for my condiments.

Why don't they provide condiments in smaller sizes? Why don't they make refrigerators with only an 8 inch shelf depth? Why can't we be more like the French who don't seem to refrigerate ANYthing?.
Maybe I should buy a refrigerator with glass see through doors that would shame me into organization...

....sigh....

Well there goes another 5 minutes of successful avoidance.:eyes:

[NJCher]

11. Big pay off

Guys, I have to tell you this is one of the best things I've ever done. I've found that it not only delivers on my objectives (use the stuff, inspiration), it also:

saves time (finding things is so easy)
saves messes (no longer do I knock things over to find something)
saves aggravation (HATE searching for things)
and
saves energy (the refrigerator door is open a fraction of the time that it used to be.

Next up: the herb & spice cabinet, located in the butler's pantry (large).



Cher