Surprising Foods You Shouldn’t Store in the Refrigerator
Aged Cheeses
This one may seem counterintuitive, but hard cheeses should not be kept in a fridge. If they are concrete, they can really become a stone. That’s because matured cheeses can go on to dry out even more in a fridge. Some cheese even take months or longer to properly to cure. This is where their distinct flavors originate from, so why take all that time just to put them in the fridge and lose the flavor?
Rather, put them in a dark spot, away from a ton of moisture. This could be in the form of a pantry or cupboard. Some cheeses must be in a fridge, but they’ll typically indicate that on their label.
Jam
Another item that is normally within the refrigerator is jam. Most articles just say jam is fine in the pantry or something, although I have a feeling a lot of people disagree with that. Because, you know, people made jams before fridges were invented. Best not to refrigerate: Jam Jam has plenty of sugar, though, so they act like salt, which preserves things that need their precious counter space.
However, there is one thing you definitely want to do right if you are planning to leave this jam at room temperature — use an air-tight lid, for the longest storage.
Avocados
Avocados are excellent for plenty of meals. Too bad they are almost always so inflexible. We all know the feeling of having to fork out cash for an avocado, only to arrive home and discover it is not ready, or, even worse, rotting away inside. You would be tempted into tossing your avocados in the fridge after reading this, but do not (yet) give in to that temptation.
Putting them in the fridge will halt the ripening process. If you’d like to rule out avocado gone bad before you opened it, then attempt to test its firmness. An avocado that is soft and mushy could be going bad.
Eggs
This may throw a lot of people, but often you can store free-range eggs on the counter in a bowl. Indeed, you may be surprised to find they are stashed anywhere other than room temperature in many European countries. Eggs come with a protective layer on the outside of their shell as nature intended. But in the U.S., that layer is frequently removed prior to making it to the supermarket.
Helpful hint — if the eggs are stored at room temperature when purchased, you can store them at room temperature. If you purchased them from the refrigerated aisle, then play it safe and toss them in the fridge.
Butter
Apologies for getting controversial here but butter is A-OK. Contrary to popular belief, butter is made full of salt, waspasteurized as well, thus is inherently ever averse to spoil from the beginning.frequency. After all, not everyone has had a refrigerator for the entirety of butter-making history. But if you are in a warm and humid climate, just stick that butter in the fridge.
Finally, a butter that is room temperature spreads so much more easily than chilled butter. Waiting for butter to melt piece by piece is not something anyone enjoys doing.
Donuts
You can never have a worse problem in life than having some extra donuts left. However, if you find yourself with excess that you can’t eat, please don’t leave them in the fridge. Better to let them sit out on the counter for a couple of days, but EVEN THEN they don’t last a long time. Donuts can turn stale real fast if you toss them in the fridge
Similar to most pastries, donuts do not respond well to moisture and they will go soggy in a fridge. Otherwise, try putting them into an airtight container for longer shelf life.
Ketchup
And no, this is not another condiment that we keep in our kitchen refrigerators. The acidity of the yummy condiment makes it adverse to spoiling, which is why ketchup doesn’t need to be kept cool. Heck, I would go as far as to say keeping ketchup out of the refrigerator does keep some of the flavor in the bottle longer. But — we will let you test that out and see if it matters or not.
This is however, caveated by one small detail. However, if you live in a particularly hot and humid climate, it may be advisable to keep ketchup in the fridge for caution’s sake.
Mustard
This sauce is also often stored in the refrigerator at home. Mustard, on the other hand, doesn’t need to be refrigerated at all – contrary to popular belief. Mustard, just like ketchup, has a higher degree of acidity in it thus letting it be naturally against spoilage. For example, the majority of restaurants have their mustard on the shelf, which is correct. This is only true, however, when the mustard itself does not contain excessive amounts of fruits and vegetables as additional ingredients.
Except that, mustard should survive about two months when left. But do make sure to put that lid down!!
Whiskey
But whiskey is one of those drinks that has its couple of different way of serving. Some prefer theirs with a couple of ice cubes to chill the drink and slightly dilute it, using better-quality spirits. As a result of this, you may believe that keeping whisky in the refrigerator is a great option. Well, that could not be further from the truth. The flavour will be altered by chilling whiskey and in particular, good whiskey.
Whiskey, on the other hand, is actually great to have at room temperature because of the high alcohol content and some of the other things added to it. Finally, when it comes to whiskey storage, one more tip: whiskey can be store in an upright position (unlike wine) on a shelf or in a pantry.
Sealed Tuna
The reputation of fish is usually not for lasting freshness. On the other hand, that is not the case when it comes to canned tuna. And that would be because tin cans lock the tuna away from any threatening bacteria in the air (hence these guys are in non-refrigerated aisles of grocery stores). Tuna can be stashed anywhere alongside other foodstuffs in a pantry, and it should have a decent shelf-life in those conditions.
If your tuna is opened, however, keep it in the refrigerator. Also, another good way is removing the can and placing it in a different can.
Cucumbers
Cucumbers are that refrigerator vegetable that actually should never see the inside of a refrigerator. Storing cucumbers in a fridge changes their flavor profile and can lead to them going rotten faster. Individual results may vary, but you do not have to take our work for it. Via a study from the University of California that suggested cucumbers should be kept in a pantry or the like.
According to the research team this means small cracks in the outer skin of a cucumber are now more likely to occur as the temperatures drops. It would make it possible for bacteria to enter a cucumber and begin to rot it from the inside.
Onions
This is likely a top 10 fridge-vegetable violator. Onions simply hate staying in a cold, chilled environment. If you do store them in the fridge, their starches start turning to sugar. You can even leave them in a FRIDGE long enough, and theyćił complete dew in form of liquid. Instead you should hold them in a bag or container that is shaded. Sounds like it could be a while before we enjoy liquid onions.
The storage of onions in the fridge also comes with a risk. There is such high humidity in a fridge that it encourages the mold to grow on onions. A week later and they are no longer edible in terms of texture, stored in a refrigerator.
Salad Dressing
If your ranch or thousand island dressing lives in a fridge, then leave it there. However for oil-based dressings you can still leave them in a jar or a sealed container in a pantry without any issue. However, you may wish to ensure that any lids are clam tight. The reason for their relatively long shelf life is that they are mostly made of oils and vinegar, which are natural preservatives.
Gloria Cabata-Leman via Flickr
That being said, dressing types can be vague, so if you’re uncertain about what kind of dressing you have, there shouldn’t be much of an issue packing these types of dressings in the fridge.
Hot Sauce
We also like to keep hot sauce around, though it goes in the fridge. And this is one that might get a little Don Trumpy, Most of those things in hot sauce are natural anti-bacteria. Essentially it can be stored in a cupboard or pantry and be just fine. But refrigerate can definitely extend the shelf life of a lot of sauces. This also means many hot sauces — as some are already really thick — will solidify.
It really depends on how frequently you use hot sauce. Leave a bottle of hot sauce on the counter without worry if you enjoy your food spicy (who doesn’t). In most cases, hot sauce should be okay refrigerated if you use it in moderation.
Apples
At first it might sound reasonable to keep apples in the fridge, but this is actually not the case. The gas that apples produce makes all other produce ripen faster. Thus your apples are being stored in a tiny crisper amongst a host of other fruits, and become rotten in no time. Instead, leave apples in a bowl on the counter and let them naturally ripen.
Another thing storing apples in a cool storage is detrimental to its nutrient content. The saturation of the fridge also doesn’t assist on the flavor side either, producing apples overly wet when they exit a fridge.
Chocolate-Hazelnut Spreads
Examples are Nutella from chocolate-hazelnut spreads. And though it appears like a good step to keep these spreads in the fridge, it may too solidify them. The hazelnuts inside the spread contribute to a lot of fattiness that readily solidifies into place when it gets cold. Nutella even warns against this on their jar So it should be with other condiments in a cupboard and the lid tightly screwed on.
These spreads are sugary, like some other entries on this list. It also doesn’t hurt the flavor of these spreads — that sugar content helps keep them from spoiling naturally, too.
Melons
This may surprise some, but melons are the best stored at room temperature. And this is not just some kind of opinion. In a study done by the USDA, it showed that flavor antioxidant retention in melons such as cantaloupe and honeydew, was better measured at room temperature (pre-cooling). Yup: you have to store your melons out of the fridge, actually, for your own health. This helps them stay juicier too, bb.
Melons retain more of their whole nutrients when stored at room temperature. You can wrap leftovers and refrigerate them to In addition, melons retain a greater percentage of their total nutrients when stored at room temperature. But if you have leftovers, you can double-wrapping them and storing in the fridge.their shelf life.
Vinegar
Vinegar Preservation Unlike Most Other Foods, The Most Effective Way To Preserve Vinegar This means vinegar is best stored at room temperature, out of direct sunlight. The extreme acidity of vinegar in turn gives it an incredibly long shelf life. This is according to a study on the shelf life of vinegar by the vinegar institute, and it basically concludes that refrigerating vinegar is unnecessary. But, of course, this is only vinegar itself.
Other products — such as vinaigrettes — typically have other elements such as herbs and vegetables. What that means is they are best kept in a fridge but if you are unsure, check the individual packaging of an item.
Baked Goods
The more you are able to hold things such as cookies and other bakes for, the better. Often this means shoving them in the fridge. But this is actually inefficient. Keeping baked goods in a cool place does help to extract moisture from them making them stale faster. Rather, keep them in an air-tight container for the best results. Or simply have them fresh and delicious.
Also keep in mind that this tip is not suitable for baked goods that have a large quantity of dairy. Anything that can, stick in the fridge, otherwise
Carrots
Rarely does anyone think about this one. Carrots should be stored in a room temperature, and if you do not do this either their decay will start. Well, the reason is the high moisture content in carrots, and that moisture can cause the vegetable to decay faster due to the cool environment of a refrigerator. However, for this purpose, carrots should be stored in a dry dark place, like a pantry.
And under RT carrots can survive for a week or so. But, if you do not intend to consume them soon, then they can be frozen. One more is to buy them as when you require them.
Berries
But berries spoil exceptionally fast which may tempt you to toss them in the refrigerator. Still, they are okay if they sit on the counter for a bit, and refrigerating them results in milder flavors. The best is to munch on them the same day you got them, washed first of course! That being said if you do put them in a fridge there are a couple of things to be wary of.
Berries do not like moisture. That is why if you store a fridge you should not put it in a hermetic box (hence why most juicy fruits are in pierced boxes).
Soy Sauce
Pairing soy sauce with foods Soy sauce works well in many dishes. However, what had you do not need to refrigerate that bottle of soy sauce when you within open it? Soy sauce is high in salt — as you may already know. This salt works as a natural preservative which is one of its roles in keeping soy sauce preserved even if it has been opened. It should be fine out of spearmint as long as the lid is on properly.
That said, some manufacturers even recommend or at least prefer a cool environment for soy sauce storage. So, open up your pantry or cabinet and toss your soy sauce in there once you finish using it.
Bread
What she keeps in the fridge: Bread, which is common to find in some fridges around the world. But this is one of the true worst things you can do to that fresh loaf of bread you just picked up from the bakery. That’s because refrigerating your bread actually does work to shorten its shelf life. If you put the bread in the fridge it will get stale very quickly. Better yet, keep it out on the counter or in a bread bin.
As for sliced bread, it has a shelf life of about a week anyway—most loaves head for the stale basket after a day or two. If you’d like to keep it for more, you can always store your bread in a freezer and then reheating it whenever you’re gonna eat it.
Stone Fruits
Fruits such as plums, nectarines, cherries, and apricots are considered stone fruits. Such fruits will ripen after harvest if left out at room temperature, ripening that is suspended when fruit is stored at temperatures lower than 50 degrees Fahrenheit. For this reason, these fruits are best left out of the circle of life so they can be allowed to continue the natural ripening process. And this is another reason you usually want to keep these fruits out of the fridge.
uglyproduceisbeautiful/Instagram
However, if stone fruits spend time in a fridge, they can suffer from something called chill damage. That occurs when the ripening process is interrupted, leaving a less-flavored and differently-textured fruit.
Croutons
Croutons are good at adding some extra crunch or flavor to a salad. Or just eaten by themselves as a quick snack. And although leaving them in the fridge doesn’t hurt (unless you’re into abusing your teeth), it is by no means essential. These snacks can be stored at room temp for 6+ months with no worries (its incredibly dry) removing the need for shipment and storage in refrigerated facilities.
That being said, you should be a little more cautious of croutons you make at home. They tend to trap moisture and may go rotten faster than the ones you buy in supermarkets.
Vodka
Just like whiskey, vodka is another liquor that you can leave stored in a pantry. But more commonly, vodka chilling occurs in a refrigerator. This can be attributed, I believe, to the fact that a cocktail is usually prepared with vodka as its base. This in itself is true, but chilling vodka actually disrupts how it tastes. That’s because keeping vodka in the fridge halts the natural aging process.
For the best storage of distilled liquors, place them in a pantry or a liquor cabinet. This will help keep them at room temperature but will also protect them from the sun and not let them be affected by fluctuations of humidity.
Mangoes
It is pretty easy to just buy a few mangos and throw them in the fridge when you go grocery shopping and not think about them again until you are hungry. But it also interrupts a natural process and could result in the fruits being less ripe at times when they are consumed. This is because, in many instances, farmers will harvest their crops before they are ripened fully to factor in shipping times. Most of these fruits are shipped, too, in trucks that are also cooled, just not to the proper temperatures.
Mangos are another one of those tropically grown fruits you might want to avoid putting in the fridge altogether, they will continue to ripen naturally if left at room temp and be sweeter when you do eat them. Keeping it away from direct sunlight is also a good idea.
Peaches
Like mangoes, if you keep peaches out, it will appreciate you for how you take care of it by ripening. Similar to mangoes though, keep them outside of direct sunlight and they should last a week or two. However, if it’s a hot hot day and, frankly, you can’t imagine anything you’d like to do less than wait for an hour on your countertop to end in a chilled peach, feel free to stash them in the fridge for about two hours.
For that matter, freezing peaches works too. In the freezer, they should last for the best part of a year and you can enjoy them out of season.
Maple Syrup
Maple Syrup is a fairly ubiquitous condiment fridge storage. The last thing you want is a refrigerate in the name of syrupy goodness to last a while indeed for pancakes and waffles. But you’ll recall that maple syrup really ought not to be kept in a refrigerator. This can be actively detrimental. However, maple syrup can be kept at room temperature; although a pantry is typically a better option, especially if it is near sunshine or humidity changes.
So as we mentioned before, keeping some maple syrup in a fridge can be risky, although, in most cases, this will happen only when you keep with an open lid. Well, the nasty thing with the cold is mold, and nobody wants mold in their syrup.
Champagne
Instead, it turns out, high-end champagne is never supposed to go in the fridge, because, well, excuse me what. They should really be kept in something like a wine cellar. For many of us, that means a cupboard or cupboard. That’s because champagne requires staple temperatures due to complex flavors, and you don’t keep it in a fridge. It takes only a few days for champagne to spoil when placed in a refrigerator
Possibly even a drinking cabinet would be another storage option for champagne. But make sure the cabinet is windowless because champagne does not like natural light.
Opened Cans
Sure we have all done it some time or the other — just open a can of whatever and dump what is left in the fridge. We always think of cans when we consider great storage for food but once we open that wonderful metal box, a lot of the benefit is lost. Oxygen can enter when cans are opened which leads to all sorts of different chemical reactions. One of those reactions is known as oxidation.
Oxidation is what reacts with the tin can and food, and it really accelerates the rate at which the metal starts to dissolve and leach into your food in trace amounts. But it can lead to some metallic taste and some health issues too.
Tropical Fruits
Indeed many of them get the name tropical fruits through the tropical, which are characteristically warmer and damp places. That’s why, these fruits can be kept at room temperature, and it is totally fine. These also ripen, albeit sporadically when left to do so. Nobody wants to grab a pineapple or kiwi, only to take a taste and find out it’s bland or worse, slightly frostbitten.
supervaludeansgrange/Instagram
Tropical fruits can ripen in the fridge to give them a longer shelf life, but shouldn’t be stored there for long-term. No one would chastise you for chilling them in the fridge for an hour or two on warm days either.
Fruit Pies
Apple pies tend to lose some of that great taste in a fridge. The good news is that they are not and do not need to be. The reason for it is close to the one for jam. Sugar is abundant in fruit pies because the sugar serves to preserve the pies for a longer time. Still, it doesn’t hurt to slap a little tin foil on top to thwart a rush of unwanted bacteria and flies trying to steal your dessert.
Also, it’s a beneficial idea to avoid any fruit. Fruits that are about to ripen produce gasses that accelerate the ripening of Staying away from any fruits is also a wise choice. Fruits produce gases while ripening, and their gases will make nearby fruits ripen quickly. However, pies that are primarily dairy-based belong in the refrigerator — unlike those full of fruit. Fruits. Pies made primarily with dairy components require refrigeration, unlike those prepared primarily with fruits.
Molasses
Etc, and molasses is already a very thick substance. So, refrigeration just does the job to thicken it up more. Store it somewhere else (pantry) so it will not get moisture (which will produce a mold). Remember to always store molasses in an airtight container. Apart from that, an unopened jar of molasses can last a year in the pantry. Once opened, the lifespan is approximated to half a year.
simplybeautifuleating/Instagram
The last consideration that may come in play when storing molasses is the climate of your residence. Furthermore, molasses and moisture do not like each other, so if you have any doubt about your seal, pop it in the fridge.
Chocolate
For some, chocolate on this list may raise a few brows. Then again, the vast majority of things on here are things you probably have in the fridge and shouldn’t. And, shock horror, there are loads of people who actually like to put their chocolate in the fridge. And some of us are also far too guilty of it. So it feels really good to have some beautiful chocolate in your mouth!
However, that’s actually a huge faux pas which can create “sugar bloom,” and you get little spots of sugar beginning to coat the chocolate which changes the texture and taste of the chocolate for the worse.
Fish Sauce
Fish sauce can be surprisingly resistant to spoiling, much like some other condiments on this list. Store-bought versions are often full of sodium, which helps preserve fish sauce indefinitely. This means that fish sauce is usually best stored somewhere in a cabinet or pantry. This is not always able to be done, as fish sauce is often used with a handful of dishes, but if in doubt, check the expiration date.
In the case of fish sauce, however, refrigerating it can too impact its flavor. Fish sauce tastes worse when left in a chilled environment over time. Also pay attention to the color of any fish sauce, fish sauces that are red will be suitable for food processing.
Watermelons
This may be shocking to some people. Then to leave the hottest sunniest day to cracking a cold watermelon. Watermelons will mature naturally if left at room temperature, though. These delicious fruits can last a week or two without being refrigerated to allow them to continue ripening, but seriously — who wants to wait that long?
exposing_my_food_gallery/Instagram
Keeping children away from fruits like oranges and apples is another piece of advice. A watermelon may spoil before it Another one is you have to keep them away from fruits like apples and oranges. It emits gases that rot a watermelon before ripening.its full ripeness due to the gasses released by these fruits.
Peppers
Another of the veg that you can just leave on the counter is Peppers. In fact, they can stick around like this for as long as seven days; they only start to deteriorate as soon as they are cut. If you use half a pepper for cooking or for a quick snack and the other half is left over, then bin the other half in the fridge. That said, sticking peppers in the fridge also comes with a few drawbacks.
The cold atmosphere of a freezer is in reality headed work null a pepper’s for taste. After all, no one actually buys peppers to find out how to make his or her food a bit more boring!
Protein Powder
And this one is for all you gym — excuse us, ironzen — rats. It is more than just alright for your protein powder to live outside of the fridge. Storing in a cabinet or pantry is actually better. Although protein powder does have a moderately good shelf life, if kept in a dry place it will be good for a considerable amount of time. Which means you want to avoid any moisture, though that can lurk in a fridge at times.
This is doubly-so for the more hardcore amongst us You are fine keeping it outside the bag/container if you finish it quickly, assuming it’s well sealed.
Eggplants
Eggplant: Eggplant is a type of vegetable that tends to go in a crisper slot. But, best still it is to have them out of the fridge. That is because they can be also sensitive to some gases released by other produce. That said, eggplant is not known for its long shelf-life. Therefore, if you purchase them, do your best to cook them no more than two days after you have purchased them.
Then go ahead and chuck em in the fridge, if you don’t plan on eating them right away. Just keep those away from other produce.
