Thanksgiving Is Approaching Fast, Make Sure Your Fridge Is Ready

If you're planning to host Thanksgiving this year, there are a lot of obvious things for which you need to prepare. While the most pressing is figuring out how you're going to cook your turkey, one under-the-radar but equally important preparation for the big day is making sure your refrigerator is ready to handle all those ingredients, chilled dishes, and leftovers.

Having a clean and well-organized fridge helps alleviate stress; ingredients are easier to find when they aren't buried behind old pasta sauce, and there's room to put dishes you make ahead of time or that guests bring. It takes a lot off your mind and lets you focus on cooking and hosting. Plus, having a clean, well-organized space has been shown to help better your mood and increase your focus.

Prepping your fridge for the holiday helps you see what you already have. You can find which ingredients have gone bad, bearing in mind there are some myths about expiration dates that you shouldn't believe, and maybe uncover a sauce or paste you forgot about!

You'll want to have space in your fridge for all the Thanksgiving dishes you can make ahead of time, letting you focus on the turkey the day of. Plus, after the big meal, it's much easier to get your delicious leftovers in the fridge, allowing you to spend more time with your friends and family, which is what the big day is all about!

So, it's time to start organizing. First, toss out anything that has gone bad; you might find you've just cleared half of your fridge's storage space. You can sort what you plan to keep using the proper storage containers to maximize both your space and how long each will last. Where to put those containers depends on what's in them. Different areas of your fridge have different temperatures — the door tends to be the warmest, and the bottom and back tend to be the coldest. The warmer spots are suitable for condiments that don't need to be as cold, along with the leftovers you plan to eat soon. Meat and dairy do well in the colder fridge zones. It's always good to make sure your refrigerator is set to the right temperature, between 35-38 degrees, to ensure the stored ingredients keep well. Once you're prepared, you can be sure that none of the potential Thanksgiving Day drama will come from the kitchen this year!