May 12, 2005

Prairie Fare: Cool Rules for Your Fridge

By Julie Garden-Robinson, Food and Nutrition Specialist
NDSU Extension Service

Is your refrigerator running? As tempting as it may be, I’m not going to advise that you try to catch it.

An efficiently running refrigerator is an excellent food safety precaution. Keeping your refrigerator cold enough can slow the growth of bacteria and other “germs” and help keep you, your family and friends from getting sick. The trouble is, consumer survey results show that few people know much about refrigerator temperatures or refrigerator thermometers.

Only about 20 percent of consumers say they use a refrigerator thermometer and about 30 percent have heard they should use a refrigerator thermometer. On the other hand, 73 percent agree they would get sick if they were to eat food stored in a refrigerator that was not kept cold enough.

Do you know the temperature of your fridge? For safety reasons, refrigerators should be at 40 degrees or lower. Some refrigerators have built-in thermometers. If yours doesn’t, consider buying one at a grocery, discount or hardware store. There are a few times when your refrigerator may be at a warmer temperature than recommended, such as the refrigerator door is left open, hot food recently was added or it’s automatically defrosting.

Refrigerators have an on and off cycle. According to the National Sanitation Foundation, refrigerators should be checked at the time the refrigerator compressor turns on, when your refrigerator is at its highest temperature. Here are some “cool rules” from the new national “BACDown” campaign from the Partnership for Food Safety Education at www.fightbac.org.

• Use a refrigerator thermometer to be sure the temperature is consistently 40 degrees or lower.
• Refrigerate or freeze perishables, prepared foods and leftovers within two hours of purchase or use. Always marinate foods in the refrigerator.
• Never defrost food at room temperature. Thaw food in the refrigerator. For a quick thaw, submerge food in cold water in an airtight package or thaw in the microwave if you will be cooking it immediately.
• Separate large amounts of leftovers into small, shallow containers for quicker cooling in the refrigerator.
• Do not overstuff the fridge. Cold air must circulate to keep food safe.
• Use or discard chilled foods on a regular basis.
• As the refrigerator temperature approaches 32 degrees, ice crystals can begin to form and lower the quality of some foods, such as raw fruits, vegetables and eggs. A refrigerator thermometer will help you determine whether you are too close to this zone.

Here’s a lower-fat version of a popular appetizer recipe. More calcium-rich recipes are available from www.3aday.org. This recipe could be made ahead of time and refrigerated. Be sure to refrigerate the leftovers, too, if there are any.

Baked Spinach Artichoke Yogurt Dip

1 14-oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 10-oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 c. low-fat plain yogurt
1 c. shredded low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 c. chopped green onion
1 garlic clove, minced
2 Tbsp. chopped red pepper
Whole-grain crackers of choice

Combine all ingredients except red pepper and mix well. Pour mixture into 1-quart casserole dish or 9-inch pie plate. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until heated thoroughly. Sprinkle with red pepper and serve on crackers.

Makes 8 servings. Each serving of dip has 80 calories, 3 grams of fat, 7 grams of carbohydrate, 1 gram of fiber and 20 percent of the daily value for calcium.

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Source: Julie Garden-Robinson, (701) 231-7187, jgardenr@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Rich Mattern, (701) 231-6136, richard.mattern@ndsu.nodak.edu

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