Properly stored food tastes better and lasts longer. That sounds simple enough. Refrigerator storage is an important way of keeping food safe. The cool temperature helps to keep the food fresh and slow the growth of most harmful microbes. At the same time, it does not change the characteristics of the food.

Always store refrigerated foods at temperatures less than 40°F. However, there are differences in your refrigerator's temperature that calls for placing certain items in particular compartments. The temperature is not constant throughout the interior. The coldest point in the refrigerator is at the bottom. By taking advantage of the temperature differences, you can ensure optimal storage for all your food.

Foods, such as dairy products, meats, poultry, eggs and fresh fruits and vegetables, will spoil rapidly if not stored at proper temperatures. For optimal quality and safety, dairy products should be stored at refrigerated temperatures between 34°F and 38°F, meats between 33°F and 36°F and eggs 33°F to 37°F. Fresh vegetables and ripe fresh fruits should be stored between 35°F and 40?F.

The following tips will help you store your food properly and will get the most from your grocery dollars.

• Avocados should be left to ripen for a day or two at room temperature or for a week in the refrigerator. They can then be stored for three to four days on a lower shelf in the refrigerator. 

• Apples, oranges, and pears stay fresh longer in the salad compartment of the refrigerator. Remove any packaging and keep a small stock of fresh fruit in a bowl. Restock from the fridge.  

• Bagels, if unopened, should be stored in the fridge. Once opened, store them as fresh bread. 

• Bananas will discolor at temperatures below 50 degrees F, so don't keep them in the refrigerator. As bananas ripen, they emit a gas that encourages other fruit to ripen. Unless you want this to happen, store bananas away from other fruit or use a 'banana tree' to elevate a bunch of bananas above the rest of the fruit.

• Bread should be stored in the original package at room temperature and used within 5 to 7 days. However, bread stored in the refrigerator will have a longer shelf-life due to delayed mold growth. This could also result in a firmer product. 

• Eggs should also be stored in the fridge with the end pointed down so that yolks are less likely to break when the eggs are cracked open. Eggs will last longer if stored in their original container and not in the door of the refrigerator where the egg container is provided. Store cooked eggs in sealed containers since their smell will taint other foods.

•  Cabbage, spinach and other greens should be kept in a salad crisper. 

• Fresh herbs can be kept in individual plastic boxes or jars with lids for one or two days in the refrigerator.  

• Melon loses its flavor when refrigerated. Store melon at room temperature and chill just before serving.

• Mushrooms are best kept in a brown paper sack in the bottom of the fridge.  

• Organic foods have no preservatives so follow specific storage instructions carefully.

• Preserves with reduced sugar content must be refrigerated.

• Sugar is a preservative so regular preserves can be stored in the pantry.

• Tomatoes can be left at room temperature until ripe and then refrigerated.

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