Knowing how to correctly store your food is important. It will impact the flavor, texture, and nutritional value of some foods if you don’t store them right. While the fridge might seem like the place to put things when you want to keep them fresh, some things are better off at room temperature. Understanding why certain products should be kept out of the refrigerator will help enhance the quality of your meals and potentially decrease waste. Here are eight foods that should never be kept in the fridge.
1. Tomatoes
Tomatoes are better kept out on the counter. Putting them in the fridge can impact their taste and texture. They often lose their natural sweetness and can get a mealy texture to them.
Why? The cold air in the refrigerator breaks down the membranes inside the tomato. Leaving your tomatoes at room temp and away from direct sunlight will allow the fruit to ripen on its own, ensuring a fantastic flavor.
2. Potatoes
Potatoes shouldn’t go in the fridge either. Cold temps will make the potatoes convert their starches into sugars faster. This will make the potato taste too sweet and can alter their texture once they’ve been cooked, giving them a gritty feel.
Keep your potatoes in a cool and dark place, like a pantry or even a potato bin. This will help keep them fresh for weeks. However, you want to avoid keeping them in plastic bags. Air circulation is key to preventing moisture from building up, which leads to rotting. A paper bag or mesh sack is the best for storing them and will ensure fresh flavor.
3. Onions
Onions are another thing best kept out of the refrigerator. Because the fridge tends to hold a lot of moisture, it can make onions soft and moldy quickly. It can also make them more pungent and give them a stronger flavor.
Rather than putting them in the fridge, store your onions in a cool, dry, and well-ventilated place. It’s also important to keep onions away from potatoes when storing them. Both foods emit gases that can cause the other to spoil faster. Perforated bowls or mesh bags are best for storing onions. This will help ensure a fresh, crisp onion when you’re ready to use one.
4. Garlic
The refrigerator impacts the quality of garlic too. Due to the cold, moist air, it will begin to sprout and become bitter in taste.
Bulbs of garlic should be kept in a basket or bowl on your kitchen counter. It needs a space where it can breathe. When you properly store your garlic, it can stay fresh for weeks, possibly even months. Keep in mind, that it is best to use the cloves within a week after you’ve broken the bulb for the best taste.
5. Bread
When you put your bread in the fridge, you might find that it gets dry. This is because the starches crystallize fast in the cold environment, making it go stale faster.
Again, room temperature is the best for bread. You might consider getting a bread box or just storing it in a paper bag on the counter. This will help it maintain both its texture and taste longer. That said, if you have an abundance of bread that you won’t be able to eat within a few days, you can pop it in the freezer. Doing this will help preserve the freshness for several weeks and you can pull out single slices as needed.
6. Honey
Honey is best kept out of the refrigerator too. If you put your honey in the fridge, it will crystallize and harden, which makes it hard to use.
Because honey has a high sugar content, it will remain stable at room temp. In fact, it will retain its flavor and texture at room temperature indefinitely. Just make sure it is in a tightly sealed container and kept in a cool, dry place. If you find that your honey has started to crystallize, you can put it in warm water to restore it to its liquid form.
7. Avocados
Cold environments stop avocados from ripening. They remain hard and are tasteless if you put them in the fridge. If you want to enjoy a creamy avocado, leave it on your kitchen counter at room temp.
You might put the avocado into the fridge once it’s ripe to prolong its freshness. But it’s important to only do this if you plan on using it soon.
8. Bananas
Bananas are another fruit best kept at room temp. Putting them in the refrigerator can cause them to turn brown quickly and they’ll become mushy. This is because the cold temps can damage the banana’s cellular structure.
Separate your bananas from the bunch and keep them on the counter for optimal freshness.
Know Where to Store Your Food for Maximum Freshness
Properly storing food will help maintain flavor, texture, and longevity. Although the fridge seems like the default place to store foods when you want them to last, it could actually hurt these eight items. Certain products actually benefit from being stored at room temperature. Having an understanding of this will help you enjoy tastier food and reduce waste.