Refrigerators are great for helping foods last longer without perishing, sometimes well past their sell-by dates. However, there are some foods you should store in the fridge because the conditions can ruin the texture or the quality. Are you keeping things you shouldn’t in the fridge? Let’s find out!
Tomatoes
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If they’re not already ripe, tomatoes in the fridge will have a longer ripening process. The fridge can also affect the taste and texture.
Avocados
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Avocados also suffer from a slower ripening process in the fridge. In addition, the cold can lead to a harder texture.
Onions
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Onions keep for a pretty long time if they’re somewhere dry and dark, or at least not exposed to direct sunlight. The fridge can make onions soft and moldy. If you’ve already sliced the onion, though, it should go in the fridge.
Potatoes
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Refrigeration can cause the starch in potatoes to break down. As a result, the flavor can change (they get sweeter) and the texture can become gritty.
Bread
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Sliced bread in plastic bags (like your typical loaf of sandwich bread) is fine in the fridge, and this can prevent mold well past the sell-by date). However, fresh-baked bread shouldn’t go in the fridge. Yes, it will hold off mold growth from your baguette longer, but the cold air makes the bread hard and dry.
Coffee Beans
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Keep the coffee beans on the counter. Putting them in a refrigerator can affect the subtle flavors of the beans, and your next cuppa joe won’t taste as good.
Honey
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Honey is an all-natural food, and its sugars keep it from spoiling for a very long time. Refrigeration makes it get thicker and could even make it solidify.
Cooking Oils
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Refrigerating cold-pressed oils (like olive oil) can thicken or solidify them, rendering them useless until they thaw. It can also cause cloudiness and can negatively impact taste and texture.
Butter
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Refrigerated butter lasts practically forever, but spreading cold, hard butter on food is almost like spreading a rock on food. Plus, the cold affects the temperature of your food. Keep one stick on the counter in a sealed container and keep the rest in the fridge until you need another one.
Chocolate
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When chocolate is exposed to moisture, sugar moves to the surface. This creates a whitish layer on the top in a process called “blooming.” It won’t make you sick, but it does affect the texture and the look, and if you hadn’t read this already, you’d probably think the chocolate was spoiled and throw it away.
Uncut Melons
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In the fridge, uncut melons can actually absorb flavors from other foods present. The cold air also slows down the sweetening as the melon reaches peak ripeness, so that cantaloupe in the fridge won’t taste as good as the one on the counter does. After cutting, always refrigerate!
Peanut Butter
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Most store-bought peanut butter has preservatives that make it keep for a long time at room temperature even after being opened. It’s worth noting, though, that this is not the same for natural peanut butter, which should be refrigerated.
12 Foods To NEVER Eat After They Expire (Throw Them Away Immediately)
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The “Sell by” date on food packaging tells how long the food can stay on shelves, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that’s when it expires. On the other hand, the “Best by” or “Use by” date is something to really pay attention to.
Some foods can be fine well past that date, but others don’t, and consuming them can lead to food poisoning, a trip to the hospital, or worse. Following are some foods you should never consume after they expire.
12 Foods To NEVER Eat After They Expire (Throw Them Away Immediately)
15 Healthy Foods That Taste So Good They Have No Right Being Healthy
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Eating healthy doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice flavor. Many nutritious foods are full of vitamins and minerals and taste absolutely delicious. Some of these foods might surprise you with how good they taste while still being a part of a healthy diet.
If you’re looking for guilt-free snacks or meals, check out this list of 15 healthy foods that taste so good they almost feel like a cheat.
15 Healthy Foods That Taste So Good They Have No Right Being Healthy
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