General Chat

Why did I not ask when I got the chance?


Over the years whilst I was working I went on many Food Handling courses, but today whilst putting foods that need to be kept refrigerated, I realized that 1 hard rule does not make sense.

Raw meat on bottom shelf, so that it does not contaminate food below it.

But what is under that bottom shelf on most domestic fridges?

The salad box.

I always wrap/cover raw meat & put it on a plate.

Quite agree Carol. The only saving grace is that the box for veg under the bottom shelf normally ends up as a box with the glass shelf forming a lid. As long as its pushed in properly meat juices shouldn't leak into it.

Do commercial premises have a separate raw meat fridge?

There's the other thing that cooked food should be chilled quickly before being refrigerated - not too easy in a domestic kitchen where you don't have a blast-chiller!

lol Carol it´s a question I asked often but domestic and catering fridges are different and as Det says there is a glass shelf before salad stuff.. I have found that it is so difficult to arrange my fridge (domestic) as I am used to doing. Catering wise I had 2 fridges 1 for meat and 1 for non meat, now I have 1 fridge and I still try to stick to my H&H but it´s not always that easy

I think most don't worry too much about it, our fridge and indeed the last one have/had glass shelves, we don't keep jams and such like in the fridge and find it tastes better, eggs also are not in the fridge, cooked and raw meat are on same shelf but not touching.
Years ago we didn't have fridges and survived. :-P

CAROL YOU FORGOT ONE THING


ME FALLING IN A FREEZER

our fridges over here have a meat drawer, some have 2 ............... and they are underneath the TOP shelf.

In the door, is a cheese box


soooooooooooo ..................

we have breads and several cans of salmon on the top glass shelf

meat, deli meats and cheeses in the meat drawer

Milks to the right on the next glass shelf ...... away from the meat drawer, but only because the space under the meat drawer is not high enough

a glass jug containing fruit juice and various bottles under the meat drawer

Eggs in an egg tray on the very bottom glass shelf, along with the margarine and jams


Two drawers below that, one for fruits and one for veggies.

Several moveable shelves in the door hold things like fruit syrups, salad dressings, chutneys, etc etc



We always keep jams in the fridge, have done since we first moved over here 46 years ago ...................... they go mouldy very fast if not kept in the fridge. We have hotter and more humid weather than you do :-)

HOW BIG IS YOUR FRIDGE!

Must be as big as a kitchen to fit all that in!

When we lived in Singapore we had what was called an American Fridge. It was taller than I was!! (about 6' x 3' x 3'). Everything was kept in it, except bananas. The reason, apart from the climate, was ants. They found their way into everything edible no matter how well packed you thought it was! :-) :-)

Dizzi ...............

you mean my fridge??


it's a small American fridge!


That means it stands about 5½' high x about 2½' x about 2½' ................ I'm about 5' 7" and I have to stand on tippy toes to see anything small that has been put on top of it!


Believe me, that was a lot smaller than some of the ones we looked at!


It also has a large freezer compartment below the main fridge.



Andy'smum ..........we even keep bananas in there.

A scientist friend who had done research on bananas told OH years ago that they should be kept in the fridge.

The skins go brown, but the fruit doesn't go all soft and mushy.

We have two fridges, both very big, with freezers.

Like Sylvia, we have to keep things in the fridge because of the humidity; jam would be mouldy within a few days.

When I buy flour (and things like pasta, breadcrumbs etc) I put them in the freezer for a couple of hours before storing them. Freezing (so I'm told) kills off weevils & other nasties.

I have four boxes on the top shelf of the fridge, long skinny ones with handles..... they're for jam, chutney, sauce etc, so I don't have to take everything off the shelf to find the jar or bottle I want.

Sylvia, I never knew that!! I have always been told that the one thing you don't refrigerate is bananas!

You learn something new every day. :-) :-)

Supermarkets give us a good clue. Eggs and bananas and tomoatoes are always in ambient sections.

I have never refridged bananas, but have started. And they do still taste nice. And not black on outside and squidgy on inside after a few days.

And, if eggs are in your fridge, make sure they are underneath ambient goods. Same way when you are packing. Always put eggs in first and tins and packets on top.

no no no John!!!


put eggs on TOP of other goods when packing the shopping bag!


Otherwise you get home to find egg white and yolk leaking out into the styrofoam carton



oh dear me, dear me, dear me

Obviously you've never been there, done that :-)

I am an eggspert, Sylvia. You don't spend 25 years of your life running supermarkets and 6 years teaching food hygiene to not know where to put your eggs.

And bleach always sells better if it is moved out of household aisle and put on fresh fish counter.

As Hylda Baker would have said: "He knows, ya know" :-) :-) ;-)

Have had several pms and a death threat. Yes, I was joking about eggs going into bags first with heavy stuff on top. Yes, a grovelling and profusive apology to Sylvia in Canada.

And a profuse apology to those who have gone shopping this evening and packed their bags with eggs at bottom. :-( :-( :-( :-0 :-0

:-D@ John, I always put my eggs on top of a loaf of bread squashed down with tins and jars, find this is the best way to save time in preparing 'eggy toast'. :-D

I will be putting one of my fresh, just going ripe bananas in my fridge tonight as an experiment Sylvia, let you know how it survives in due course. ;-)

John

:-D :-D


I realised afterwards that you were having us on :-)



Joeva ................

............. not sure if putting ripe bananas in the fridge will work as well. We buy bananas that are not too ripe ............... yellow but very firm.

I HAVE A UNDER THE WORK TOP FRIDGE AND FREEZER,
ONLY PROBLEM IS I CANT BEND DOWN LOW ENOUGH TO
SEE WHAT IS ON THE TOP SHELF,THAT'S WHERE ALL THE
FURREY THINGS LIVE AND THE BOTTOM TRAY HAS BROKEN
I CANT LIFT IT OUT ANY MORE
THAT'S WHERE THE SLIMEY STUFF CONGREGATES

:-0 Dizzy