Okio B Designs

(Image courtesy of The Graphics Fairy)

With Thanksgiving prep in full swing, your fridge is about to become the busiest spot in the house. Between pre-chopped veggies, pies, casseroles, and days’ worth of leftovers, smart storage is essential to keep everything fresh, flavorful, and odor-free all week long. Our friends at Vitesy were gracious enough to share the following helpful tips to avoid post-Thanksgiving fridge odors:

Set the temperature between 39°F and 43°F. A steady, cool temperature slows ripening and decomposition for produce and helps protect dishes like mashed potatoes, stuffing, and casseroles from spoiling too quickly.

Store raw turkey, meat, and fish on the bottom shelf, where juices can’t drip onto anything else. Keep cooked Thanksgiving dishes—like green bean casserole, roasted Brussels sprouts, and baked mac and cheese—on the upper shelves.

(Image courtesy of The Graphics Fairy)

Don’t overcrowd the fridge. With pies, casseroles, cranberry sauce, gravy containers, and leftovers competing for space, proper airflow prevents spoilage and keeps everything tasting the way it should.

Use the crisper drawers for produce you’ll need for big-day cooking: asparagus for roasted sides, citrus for glazes, berries for desserts, and lettuce for post-holiday sandwiches.

Keep certain foods out of the fridge—including onions, shallots, tomatoes, bananas, apples, and avocados—to prevent premature ripening or altered texture before they make it into your holiday recipes.

(Image courtesy of The Graphics Fairy)

Avoid storing delicate foods near strong-smelling dishes. Thanksgiving favorites like stuffing, gravy, and garlic-heavy sides can transfer odors to desserts, salads, fruit, and fresh herbs.

Store fruits and vegetables separately. Ethylene-producing fruits can cause veggies—and even some prepared sides—to wilt or spoil faster when space gets tight in a holiday-packed fridge.

Line drawers and shelves with protective sheets or mats to absorb moisture from produce and catch drips from reheated sides or juicy leftovers.

Use Shelfy to eliminate odors, bacteria, and pollutants. With so many dishes sharing one fridge, Shelfy helps maintain freshness and extends the life of your produce and holiday leftovers by up to 12 extra days—perfect for pre-Thanksgiving prep and those beloved leftovers.