Have you ever been to your fridge and found a wilted bag of vegetables, or a sour carton of milk? It’s always unpleasant to find food that has gone off. In some cases, it could’ve been avoided if you had stored it correctly. But in most cases it’s the foods that don’t require refrigeration that get spoiled. Let’s look at some of them. Fruits and Vegetables Fruits such as apples, bananas, avocados, melons and stone fruits can be left out on your kitchen countertop. If they are not ripe yet, you can keep them in a paper bag with an apple or banana so they ripen faster. The same goes for vegetables like potatoes, onions, garlic and squash—these are food items that don’t need refrigeration so long as they are kept in a cool dark place. When these items are...
Have you ever been to your fridge and found a wilted bag of vegetables, or a sour carton of milk? It’s always unpleasant to find food that has gone off. In some cases, it could’ve been avoided if you had stored it correctly. But in most cases it’s the foods that don’t require refrigeration that get spoiled. Let’s look at some of them.
Fruits such as apples, bananas, avocados, melons and stone fruits can be left out on your kitchen countertop. If they are not ripe yet, you can keep them in a paper bag with an apple or banana so they ripen faster.
The same goes for vegetables like potatoes, onions, garlic and squash—these are food items that don’t need refrigeration so long as they are kept in a cool dark place. When these items are placed in the refrigerator it can alter their texture significantly making them soggy or mushy when cooked.
Bread products like tortillas, pita bread or croissants are top among the list of foods to not refrigerate. The fridge temperature will cause them to dry out quickly. If you want them to last longer for daily use, you can store bread products at room temperature in an airtight container.
Breads can also be cut into slices, wrapped tightly in plastic and frozen to last up to six months. This will help keep your bread fresher longer without sacrificing quality or taste.
Coffee is another item that should not be refrigerated. Coffee beans absorb odours from other foods which will ruin the flavour of your coffee! It’s best to store coffee beans at room temperature away from direct sunlight and moisture to make sure they stay fresh and flavourful for as long as possible.
If you want to keep your ground coffee fresh, you can put it into an airtight container and store it somewhere cool away from heat sources like stoves or direct sunlight.
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Honey, sauces and chocolate spreads
Honey will crystallize under cold temperatures and sizes up. Heating it will not make it come back to its original gooey form. Therefore honey comes under foods that spoil in the fridge.
Hot sauces have plenty of vinegar in them to prevent bacterial growth. They would do just fine in room temperature.
Chocolate spreads, peanut butter, hazelnut spreads are easily spreadable under room temperature rather than the hardened form they get when placed in the fridge. So avoid storing these foods in the fridge.
Storing dry fruits like nuts in the fridge can help reduce oil secretion in them but it will also affect the nutty flavor. Try keeping dry fruits in cool, dry, dark areas. If you have stored them in the fridge, roast the nuts a little to bring out their flavour before use.
You would be knowing this because of how hair oil solidifies during winter months. The same applies to cooking oils too. Olive oil will solidify if kept inside the fridge and heating it often will alter the flavour. Keep oil in a cool, dark place, away from your stove.
Vinegar is often used as a preservative and is definitely one among the foods that don’t require refrigeration.
When storing food there are rules that must be followed if you want your food to last longer without going bad too quickly! Knowing what types of foods should not be stored in the refrigerator is step one towards making sure your food storage is efficient and effective. Following these simple tips will ensure that your food stays fresher longer without compromising its quality or taste!
