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Operating at the right temperature will help keep your food fresher for longer and prevent the spread of foodborne illnesses.
1. This is the safest temperature for your family refrigerator.
Operating at the ideal refrigerator temperature will keep your food fresher for longer and prevent the spread of foodborne illnesses.
Is your food wilting faster than usual? Ice cream coming out of the freezer looking like soup? If so, you need to check the temperature of your refrigerator. So, what temperature should your fridge be set at? While adjusting the fridge temperature, remember to remove all perishables.
According to the FDA, the refrigerator temperature should be set at a cool 40 degrees F (4 degrees C), and the freezer temperature at 0 degrees F (-18 degrees C).
What's the Right Refrigerator Temperature?
According to the FDA, the refrigerator temperature should be set at a cool 40 degrees F (4 degrees C), and the freezer temperature at 0 degrees F (-18 degrees C). While some refrigerators and freezers come with bells and whistles, they may not have an integrated thermometer. If not, a device thermometer is usually inexpensive and can be found at most kitchen appliance stores. Keeping your refrigerator at the optimal temperature is key to ensuring that your perishables and leftovers last as long as possible, and it's one of the easiest ways to prevent illnesses from expired food. While freezing properly is a great way to store bulk items like meat, the FDA notes that it affects texture, flavor, aroma, juice, and color longevity when your food is frozen.
Keeping your refrigerator at the optimal temperature is key to ensuring that your perishables and leftovers last as long as possible.
If you're concerned about leftovers potentially going bad before you get to them, get creative! Nutrition expert Peggy Woodward (Tasty of Home's) suggests that leftover meat can be added to a simple soup or combined with eggs to create a new dish. If you have a small amount of cooked vegetables left over, crack some eggs on top and enjoy them for dinner. Leftover grains can make a tasty fried rice. Fruit can be turned into a chopped salad into a stir-fry... When using the refrigerator, always remember these minimum rules! Regularly monitoring the thermometer or refrigerator temperature is the best way to ensure your food's safety, but only if your refrigerator or freezer is too hot or cold.
Regularly monitoring the thermometer or refrigerator temperature is the best way to ensure your food's safety.
Always keep the refrigerator door closed. Opening the refrigerator while cooking may be convenient, but it inadvertently affects the temperature inside the refrigerator, air from outside can penetrate the refrigerator and freezer, affecting the quality of the stored food. Clean the heat-retaining system. This is essential for you to have a durable refrigerator over time.
