Keeping the food items preserved for long and protecting them from perishing is extremely important for us all. And this prompts us to keep them in a refrigerator all the time. As refrigerators are the most substantial part of our present kitchen which keeps food fresh for long. And we would like to believe everything stays fresh for long when refrigerated. We never really thought of checking, “should foods be refrigerated”, so we have a compilation to help you understand why and what foods should not be refrigerated.
Foods You Should Never Refrigerate:
For all the reasons, we believe controlling the temperature and reducing it below 32F can help in keeping the foods fresher for long. But this is not so, many foods are better if kept outside in terms keeping their nutrition and health benefits intact. Some foods you should never refrigerate include:
1. Bread:
Refrigerating the bread for keeping it fresh is a myth. Keeping in fridge may delay the molds but it dries the bread drastically. Storing in fridge gives more like a toast consistency which is not fresh at all. Consume all the loaves until they expire and keep them outside at a cool dry place.
2. Bananas:
Bananas must never be kept in fridge as their nutrition gets reduced. Retain best nutritive value of bananas by keeping them at room temperature. Fridge may slow down the ripening process but moisture and darkness in refrigerator can cause fast rotting.
3. Potatoes:
Refrigeration not only lowers the nutritive value of potatoes but also makes them less flavorful. Dark cool temperatures of fridge turn potato starch into sugar more rapidly. Also remove them from covers or plastic bags and keep them unwashed in a well ventilated card box. Plastics trigger decay so keep them away when storing potatoes
4. Tomatoes:
The cool temperatures inside refrigerator makes the tomatoes dull and meaty. Keeping the tomatoes outside will keep their original flavors intact and allow natural ripening process which improves its nutrition. Keep tomatoes in a paper bag for triggering ripening process.
5. Onions:
Onions must not be refrigerated as humidity inside the fridge makes them moldy and mushy. They must be stored in a paper bag at a cool and dark spot away from direct sunlight. Cut onions must be placed in resealable bags in vegetable drawer and be used as soon as possible.
6. Honey:
Honey crystallizes inside refrigerator and also seize up during cool temperatures. If you keep honey stored in refrigerator it will harden and get thickened. Honey stays great outside for longest time possible.
7. Melon Fruits:
Storing uncut melon fruits outside can help in keeping the anti-oxidants in them intact. Honeydew, watermelon, and cantaloupe according to USDA research must be kept at room temperature for best flavors. Once they are cut store them for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
8. Coffee:
Coffee is best stored at room temperature as humidity levels in fridge can build watery condensation which spoils the flavors. Keep it in an airtight container to prevent from getting lumped with moisture.
9. Garlic:
Refrigeration reduces the flavor of garlic, and also its lifespan. Molds can develop on garlic in cold reduced temperatures inside fridge. Garlic must be stored in a paper bag at a cool, dry and dark place at home.
Fruits like apple, citrus fruits, peach, apricot, nectarines, avocado, kiwi, peach, plum, mango, berry fruits, orange, lemon, lime and more must not be refrigerated. As cold temperatures loses its texture and flavors. They also tend to mold a lot quickly when kept in refrigerator. Keep them loosely and not bound to each other else they will mold. Unripe avocados must not be refrigerated but a ripe one can be
10. Dressings, Sauce, Ketchup, and Oils:
Most of these condiments have vinegar which keeps them fine at room temperature. Cream, yogurt or mayo based dressings must be refrigerated or they get spoiled. Oils have lower saturated fat content so its better to store them outside. Only nut-based oils must be refrigerated and not sunflower or safflower.
11. Eggs:
There is a debate regarding storage of eggs but research definitely indicates keeping inside or outside the fridge does not cause nay change in nutrition or flavor or eggs. So store it at a cool dry place. Save some space in refrigerator by keeping them outside
12. Jams and Peanut Butter:
Both of them have ample preservatives which keep them both in best nutrition and texture until their date of expiry even outside fridge.
The above compilation on Know some foods you should never refrigerate is to help you store these perishable food items in a way that keeps their freshness, taste as well as their nutrition also intact. Be sure to check the taste of food before consuming or giving your kids, throw away any items that have crossed its expiration and keep checking the food items every day for perishing threats.
Share ahead and keep writing to us, we love hearing from you!
