HappyLifestyleJournal
Ever since people found out the wonders of refrigeration, it’s become second nature to dump all perishable items from the grocery straight into the fridge.
refrigeration does go a long way towards preserving food items. However, that doesn’t mean that it always works that way. Contrary to popular belief, some foods are better off staying out of the fridge. At least if you don’t want them to lose their flavor, change their texture or even spoil at a much faster rate.
What food items should not be refrigerated? Here’s a list.
- Avocado
Unripe avocados must never be refrigerated. Once they are ripe though, they will last up to a week when refrigerated. The best way is to refrigerate them whole so they won’t brown when exposed to air.
- Bread
Bread will not keep longer in the fridge, no matter what some people will tell you. Refrigerating bread actually just dries it out. It’s ok to freeze bread but keeping it refrigerated will just let it dry out much more quickly.
- Coffee
refrigerating or freezing coffee actually alters its flavor drastically. This is because of the condensation that can affect both coffee beans and coffee grounds. If you want your coffee to retain its strong flavor, therefore, store it in an airtight container in the pantry instead.
- Fruits
Here’s another common mistake. People think refrigerating fruits will extend its life. However, fruits like berries, peaches, apricots, nectarines and apples are actually better off left outside the fridge in order to let them ripen. Refrigerating will only cause their flavors to be diminished.
- Garlic
Refrigerating garlic reduces its life span and usability. When refrigerated, garlic loses some of its flavor and the cold environment stimulates the growth of mold. To keep this from happening, break the head and store garlic loose. Use it within 10 days.
- Honey
Storing honey in a fridge will result in a thick, hard and crystallized mess. Honey can safely be stored outside of the refrigerator for a long, long time. Some would actually tell you that honey won’t spoil. Like, ever.
- Hot Sauce
Hot sauce doesn’t need to be refrigerated to last. Condiments like ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, sriracha and yes, hot sauce, can be stored in any regular pantry for up to three years.
- Melons
Melons give out the best flavor when stored at room temperature. This helps keep all those antioxidants intact. Once it’s been cut to pieces though, refrigerating is best and will let the melon keep for 3 to 4 days.
- Oils
Putting oils in the fridge will make them get thick and look murky and cloudy. The only oils that must be refrigerated at all are the nut-based ones. Olive oil and vegetable oil will do better kept in the pantry.
- Onions
Onions need to be kept at areas where air circulates. That statement alone already eliminates the refrigerator for storage. Also, onions need to be kept away from potatoes as they cause onions to rot.
- Potatoes
Refrigeration kills the flavor of potatoes. Instead, store them in a dry paper bag. Plastic promotes moisture and mold.
- Tomatoes
Refrigerating tomatoes rids it of all flavor and texture. Unripe tomatoes also ripen faster when stored in a paper bag outside the fridge instead of inside.
- Winter Squash
Winter squash like acorn squash, butternut or spaghetti squash gets to retain their flavor more if they’re left in the pantry versus if they’re refrigerated. They also last a month or two longer out of the fridge than in.
Amazingly enough, people don’t stop at food items when it comes to refrigeration. To be fair, some non-food items also last longer when refrigerated. But there are also a lot of non-food items that should never see the inside of a fridge. Like:
- batteries – the cold temperature inside the fridge makes batteries lose power at a much faster rate
nail polish – polish thickens inside the fridge because of the cold temperature. It can also alter the chemicals in the polish. The best way to store them is at room temperature away from direct sunlight.
