Additional Coverage:
- 9 Foods You Should Never Refrigerate (cheapism.com)
Stop Refrigerating These Foods!
Tired of tossing spoiled food? We all are.
It’s tempting to just shove everything in the fridge, but certain foods actually spoil faster in the cold. Here’s a list of foods that are better left out on the counter, in the pantry, or stored elsewhere.
Coffee:
While it seems logical to protect coffee beans from heat and light, the fridge isn’t the answer. Coffee absorbs surrounding moisture and odors – meaning your morning brew could end up tasting like last night’s leftovers. Instead, store beans in an airtight container at room temperature.
Tomatoes:
Ripe tomatoes are best enjoyed within a few days of purchase. Refrigeration diminishes their flavor.
Store them at room temperature in a paper bag or ventilated container. If they start to over-ripen, then you can refrigerate them for a few days, ideally in the crisper.
Let them sit at room temperature for an hour before eating to restore some flavor.
Bread:
Resist the urge to refrigerate bread. It speeds up the “retrogradation” process – a fancy way of saying it gets stale faster.
Store bread in a sealed bag or container at room temperature or freeze it for longer storage. Reheat frozen bread in the oven for best results.
Honey:
Refrigerating honey turns it into a sticky, crystallized mess. Honey has a naturally long shelf life, even if its quality declines after a year. Store it in a sealed container at room temperature in a dark place.
Onions:
While cut onions should be refrigerated, whole onions fare better in a cool, dark, and well-ventilated spot. The fridge’s damp environment can make them mushy.
Garlic:
Unpeeled garlic can sprout quickly in the refrigerator, developing bitter green shoots. Keep it in a cool, dark, and dry place like a pantry.
Melons:
Store whole melons at room temperature until ripe. Refrigerate cut melon for up to four days.
Potatoes:
Don’t refrigerate potatoes unless you like them sweet. The cold temperatures convert starch to sugar. Store them in a cool, dry pantry with good air circulation.
Avocados:
Only refrigerate avocados to slow ripening. Otherwise, let them ripen at room temperature. To speed things up, place them in a paper bag with a ripe banana for a day or two.
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- 9 Foods You Should Never Refrigerate (cheapism.com)