Nowadays it is practically impossible to conceive a kitchen without essential appliances, such as the refrigerator. It is essential if we want to preserve food safely, thus extending its useful life by slowing the growth of microorganisms that can make us sick. But to fully take advantage of the benefits of refrigeration, we must take into account the correct temperature at which we should set the refrigerator.
The most common recommendations from refrigerator manufacturers indicate that the ideal temperature of a refrigerator can vary between 2 and 8ºC, which ensures adequate cooling of fresh and easily perishable foods. Thus, we can keep it at an average temperature of about 4ºC. However, we must keep in mind that the fuller our refrigerator is, the better it should be set to a lower temperature, since the cold must be distributed evenly among all the foods.
In addition to this standard range of temperatures, we must keep in mind that during the summer months it is necessary to increase the cold in our refrigerator, to prevent the heat of the environment from spoiling the food, which can expose us to some poisoning. On the contrary, it is not necessary to keep it so cold during the winter, so it could be readjusted to a temperature close to 8ºC.
Up to this point we have talked about the temperature of the refrigerator. But what about the freezer? In this case, it is recommended to keep it at an average temperature of -18ºC, which will completely stop the proliferation of microorganisms in food. As Beatriz Robles explains in her book Eat safely by eating everything (Planet), "the colder, the more brakes, which means that in a freeze below eighteen degrees below zero, the bugs remain in a state of latency, they hibernate. ". However, at higher temperatures its growth is reactivated, so it is recommended to cook and consume the food once it is thawed.
To maintain the ideal temperature in our refrigerators and freezers, in addition to adjusting them in the correct range, we must follow a series of guidelines. One of the most important is to avoid keeping your doors open for a long time, since otherwise they will lose the cold quickly and will need more energy to recover the ideal temperature. It is also not advisable to put freshly cooked food that is still hot, as this could increase the temperature of the food around it.
As an additional recommendation, it is not necessary to put all food in the refrigerator for it to be properly preserved. A good clue is to see how they are preserved in supermarkets. If they are outside the refrigerator in the store, we can keep them in the same way at home, with the exception of eggs. Some of the foods that preserve perfectly without refrigeration are whole fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, raw rice, cereals, legumes, chocolate and ripened cheeses. On the contrary, those that should or should be stored in the refrigerator include red fruits, meat, mayonnaise and other raw sauces.
