Refrigerators have been used for food preservation for decades. Before the invention of refrigerator, people would preserve food with time tested methods like salting, spicing, pickling, drying or smoking. Today, refrigerators are not only limited to freezing and preserving foods. Have you ever thought why refrigerators have become the most popular preservation device and what are the actual benefits of refrigerators? Ok, let’s check…
Importance and Benefits of Refrigerators
Refrigerators have made our life easier with their different types of features. Here are the most common advantages that it can bring.
Stock Food for Long Term
Today you lead a busy life like others. So, you don’t have much time to purchase your grocery every day. That’s why buy your necessary grocery in bulk for a week or for a month and stock them in the refrigerator. You can use them whenever you need them. Refrigerator saves you from the rash of everyday grocery shopping or stocked out of the grocery.
Save Cooking Time
No one wants to spend his time in the kitchen cooking every single meal separately. Nowadays it is really unrealistic to cook for 2 or 3 hours to make a meal when it takes only 15-20 minutes to finish that meal. Do you have a refrigerator? If yes, you can cook a larger portion and keep them in the refrigerator for the next several meals.
Have Organized Kitchen
Imagine a kitchen without a refrigerator! How haphazard it could be! Vegetables, fruits, leftovers or raw foods remain here and there. Without a refrigerator, it is really hard to keep your kitchen tidy. There are separate compartments, drawers, shelves in a refrigerator to organize your different food products in a manner. It also saves your time to find out specific products in need.
Extend Freshness of Fruits and Vegetables
Most of the fruits and vegetables won’t remain fresh at room temperature. The natural freshness of fruits and vegetables fades away along with time. Besides insect attacks make them unhygienic and spoiled. Refrigerators hold the freshness, hygiene and nutritional values of your foods for many days by controlling the moisture and temperature. Apart from that, it protects your foods from insect attacks.
Slow Down the Activity of Bacteria
Bacteria multiply quicker when the temperature is between 40° F and 140° F. It is called the temperature danger zone. Food poisoning bacteria can grow easily in your cooked or raw foods if you keep them in this danger zone for a long time. You might be sick after consuming those foods. Your refrigerator’s temperature must be less than 40° F. The lower temperature reduces the max growth of bacteria and keeps your foods safe from being poisoned.
Ice and Water Dispenser
This amazing feature located outside of your refrigerator. It allows you to have instant cool water and ice just with one press. You no need to lose interior coolness by opening your refrigerator’s door. Refrigerators are used for preserving drinking water and ice cubes on summer days. But the ice and water dispenser makes it easier to have chill water without preserving water. It is connected to your home water line and fills automatically when the dispenser becomes empty.
Chill Desserts
Think about having melted ice cream, you won’t like it, do you? Some desserts must be chilled while taking them. If you have a refrigerator you can chill your homemade desserts or you can store purchased desserts for later consumption.
Chill Drinks
Who doesn’t like chilled drinks! Most of us look for the cold one while drinking juices, coke or other drinks. You can store drinks in the refrigerator or store ice cubes to garnish your drinks.
Rest Dough and Batter
Some dough and batter provide the best result if they are rested in the refrigerator for a certain time. You may make dough and batter for pizza, doughnut, bread, pie, cake and brownie and store them in your refrigerator for future use. Decorated cakes, brownies, pies, and ready to cook foods are also preserved in the refrigerator.
Preserve Ripen Fruit and Leftover food
Sometimes, you have ripened fruit or leftover food that no one is going to take now. But later it might be rotted or spoiled and you won’t have another way but throw it in the trash bin. A refrigerator can save you from this type of wasting food. Refrigerators hold the natural process of over ripening and eventually decay and keeps the foods consumable for a certain time.
Maximize The Shelf Life of Perishable Food
Raw meat, poultry, fish, egg and milk are the most perishable food. The food ingredients, moisture, nutrients, taste change rapidly at room temperature. The freezer part helps you to freeze meat and fish for a longer time and keep their natural components unchanged. Milk can be stored in both freezer and fridge compartments for a month or 1/2 weeks respectively. Milk based products like cheese, butter, cream, buttermilk etc. need to be stored in the refrigerator. Eggs should be kept in the refrigerator part to maintain the internal moisture and quality.
Store Heat Sensitive Drugs
Some medicines like insulin, injections, antibiotic liquids, eye drops and antiseptic creams are recommended to keep between 35.6° F and 46° F. temperature. So, Store those medicines in your refrigerator to maintain the exact temperature range and safe use.
You also can preserve your beauty and skin care products in the refrigerator, it protects your products’ values and qualities.
How to use a refrigerator to get the best benefits form it
- Set your refrigerator thermistor according to the outside temperature.
- Store your foods in strong and airtight packets or boxes.
- Do not keep open refrigerator doors for a long time.
- Keep an eye on food validity. Never consume expired dated food.
- Do not store foods for longer than six months.
- Do not overstuff your refrigerator.
- Clean your refrigerator on a regular basis.
FAQ
Almost all foods are perishable. Refrigerators slow down the growth of bacteria in food and the natural process of becoming perish and keep the food eat worthy for a certain period. Refrigerator chemicals are harmless. It is totally safe if you store foods in the right way.
Refrigerators have some side effects like providing greenhouse gas; changing food nutrients, color, taste or smell; causing cold, sore throat, cough and sneeze. Nowadays brands provide energy efficient or climate friendly refrigerators which affect less to the environment. If you store food in an airtight box or packet and be aware of storing period, food elements can be maintained. If you have a cold problem, try to avoid eating food directly out of the refrigerator.
Misuse, overloaded or confined space causes refrigerant poisoning. There are two kinds of poisoning. Headache, nausea, frostbite, cough, vomiting, chemical burnt skin, dizziness, throat irritation are the common symptoms of mild poisoning. Fluid buildup, bleeding in the lungs, burning esophagus sensation, vomiting up blood, difficulty in breathtaking and loss of consciousness are the symptoms of severe refrigerant poisoning.
If you do not clean your refrigerator on a regular basis, it becomes sticky and stinky. Dirty refrigerators act as a breeding ground for harmful bacteria like salmonella, listeria, E. coli etc. It can contaminate your foods and consuming that food can make you sick. Apart from that, an unclean refrigerator may show different problems.
Fridge does not kill germs. The cold temperature of the refrigerator makes inactive or slows down the growth of germs, so the food’s life is increased and food stays in the same state for several days. The germs become active as soon as the food is brought out from the refrigerator.
Final Word
A refrigerator is necessary to lead a smooth life. In the modern buy time, people don’t have enough time to cook food and serve several times in a day. For this changed lifestyle, refrigerator plays a vital role by storing ‘ready to take’ food. Again, health conscious people are very picky about the freshness and nutrients of their foods. Refrigerators ensure their needs too. Finally, a refrigerator not only saves your money and time but also ensures your food quality at the same time.
Leave a Reply