This section is about what most people find in their kitchens and the proper nomenclature for most of it. Yes, you may be aware and know half of the things you're about to read. It's cool. Keep reading, you may find things that are new to you.
A pantry is an area separate from the kitchen or a closet where dry good are stored. Some houses no longer have a "pantry", utilizing kitchen cabinets instead.
The freezer is for frozen things.
The refrigerator is to keep things cool.
Simple, no?
Care and Happiness of your Refrigerator:
Hot & Cold
It is not advisable to put cans in the fridge - other than soda cans. Putting hot food in the fridge makes the motor to work overtime and can cause your fridge to have a shorter life span than it would normally. This is a big thing to have to fix or replace. It costs big money. If you can, let your items reach near room temp before putting them in the fridge.
Beware of cross contamination.
When meat items defrost in the fridge, there are times they will leak. Having chicken blood drip into your salad greens is bad. Always, when you put something in the fridge to defrost, make sure to place it in a pan or bowl to catch any accidental spillage. An ounce of prevention beats being upset or sick later.
Things will dry out
In the same way that your lips get chapped in the winter from the cold, so will your food items. If you put something uncovered in the fridge for more than an hour, it will start to dry out. Keep your food items wrapped, sealed or covered to get the most life (and least waste) from them.
Those drawers
It is common to have drawers in the bottom of your fridge. They usually have words written on them telling if the drawer is for vegetables or meat. Scientist designed this, don't try and reinvent the wheel. Put your long term veg in the veg drawer and your meat or cheese in the meat drawer. Being mildly closed in as they are creates a slightly different environment that works better for the long term storage of these items. In the door of the fridge is a little flappy door storage thingie, usually found on the top shelf. This is for stick butter. Personally, it's where I stash all my little packets from takeaway meals... soy sauce, duck sauce, hot mustard, ranch dipping sauce. You get the idea. I rarely keep stick butter, but when I do - that's the spot it lives in.
When to chuck stuff
Vegetables will wilt when they have reached the end of their life span. When you notice one of a certain item has gone bad, it is time to check the whole lot. One spoiled potato will stink up your fridge like nobody's business. Mushy tomatoes or peaches are not fun to deal with. Worst case scenario, you'll have to wash out the entire inside of the fridge ahead of schedule. Take the extra 5 minutes now rather than hating life later. Meat will change color as it rots. If it smells wrong, toss it. It's not worth the whole family getting sick over.
Read labels or google it
If you are not sure how long something will live in the fridge once it has been opened, read the packaging. If the information is NOT there, google it. I am certain that a kajillion other people have had the same question. If you're a touch OCD (nothing wrong with that) keep a sharpie nearby and write the toss date on the item if you can.
Scheduling!
We do our major shop for groceries once a month. I find that towards the end of the month, I have less in my fridge than at the start. That's the best time to clean that sucker out. It's a tedious and thankless job that is not noticed unless it is not done. Suck it up, buttercup. It's gotta be done. It will also give you a better idea of which staples need to be bought and what you still have after the last wipe out and dry down. I check the expiration dates on all my bottles and jars at this time as well. It's as good a time as any.
Freezer Fun
Frost and defrost
Most freezers are frostless nowadays. If you DO find frost in your freezer, it is likely due to a leak in the seal that goes around the door , somebody left it open for too long or the weight of the stuff in your freezer popped the door open slightly. Refer to the manual for the best way to defrost your freezer. Manuals are easy to find online. It's not a bad idea to have a favorites list that has the manuals for any big ticket item that costs more than $200 and any complicated electronics gear. It's ok. Google won't bite your fingers.
Vents
In the top back of your freezer are little vents. This is where the super cold air comes from to freeze your stuff. If you block this vent, the air will not be able to circulate to all your frozen items and they will not keep as long as they should. This could also cause a problem with the motor that runs the fan that pushes the air into your refrigerator. Ka-ching. Having the motor work overtime costs money in power consumption. A broken motor costs money in having it fixed - while all your food rots or you spend half a day sherpa-ing it over to a friend's house trying to save your groceries- or having to replace the whole dang refrigerator - which can cost a thousand or more dollars (depending on where you shop).
OCD joy
It is important to know how long items will live in your freezer. Here is a handy link that spells it out for you: Frozen Food Advice I break down my meats as they come in the door. What this means is I freeze meat in meal portions, rather than singles. I do have some singles in there, but it is mostly by full meal portions. 30 seconds with a sharpie on my ziplock freezer bag will tell me when I bought it - which will let me calculate when it will go bad. Not everything you put in the freezer will need to be bagged and tagged. If it does, take the few seconds to write a note. It will save you one day, I promise. Also, it is a good idea to write what the meat is on the bag. I know you're thinking that you can tell the difference between pork chops and chicken legs, why bother. Mhmm. Let em get frozen like a brick and crusted in ice - it's not so easy anymore. 30 seconds at the start to save 5 minutes of staring and feeling the bag and staring some more later.
Freezer burn
When an items is improperly wrapped, you will find freezer burn. This is when the cold has sucked all the water out of the meat and dried it out. It is not a good thing. I have had the bone on a beef roast cut through the thin cling film and let in air = freezer burnt beef roast. If an item comes from the store in a heavy duty plastic wrap, I try to leave it there. If it comes in sad, thin, cheap cling film, I repackage it. Items wrapped in foil are more susceptible to freezer burn than those stored in freezer bags. There are times foil wrapping is unavoidable. Keep an eye on those items and use them somewhat soon. Freezer ziplock bags are thicker and generally have a heavier zipper than regular plastic bags. They are designed for the harsh climate of the freezer. Trust science, folks.
Pantry Tips
Weevils
Florida is crazy with the bugs. It doesn't take much to have them everywhere. I personally have found weevils in my corn meal down here. If you freeze your flours for a day or two, it will kill anything living in them.
Upkeep
Check your expiration dates at least twice a year. Or you could just make the habit of looking when you pull it out of the cabinet. Whichever works for you, as long as you check your stuff.
Spices
Most spices will keep for a year in the cabinet. At that point, they have dried and lost most of their goodness. Toss em and start over.
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