Refrigerators are one of the most essential kitchen appliances and none of us can think of a life without it. The process of refrigeration plays a key role in every kitchen and household. And why not? It after all preserves our food for a longer period of time and at the same time maintains its quality. So, it goes without saying that without refrigerators our lives would come to a standstill. Wait, think again. Is it really so?
Most of us might not be aware of it, but did you know that there are a horde of foods that actually do not need refrigeration? In fact these foods stay better when they are not refrigerated as their flavour change adversely when they are kept in the fridge. Not only this, it can also reduce their nutritional quality and make them more susceptible to getting spoilt. Ever thought which these food items might be? You never know; a few of them might just be resting in your fridge!
In this article, we will list out some of the most common foods that you must never refrigerate. So, let’s get started!
Bread
It is the quintessential breakfast item that no household can do without. Ever wondered why your bread doesn’t taste as good as it tasted before you refrigerated it? This is because keeping it in the fridge makes the bread dry much faster. While it is perfect to freeze the bread, but refrigeration is definitely a big no! The best practice would be to either consume the bread within four days by keeping it in room temperature or freeze the bread. Make sure you store it in a proper bread box to keep its taste intact and fresh.
Potato
Refrigeration is definitely one of the worst form of abuses that one can do on potatoes. The taste of potatoes gets badly affected because of refrigeration. Ideally you should store them in paper bags primarily because plastic bags tend to lead to moisture formation and accelerate the process of decaying.
Onion
Like potatoes, onions are also not meant for refrigeration. It is best to store them in a paper bag in a cool and dark spot. You should keep them away from potatoes as they tend to release lots of moisture and gases that can spoil the onions. The moisture in the refrigerator softens the onions by making them unfit for consumption.
Tomato
Tomatoes start losing their flavour and taste and become soft and mushy if refrigerator. If you want to ripen the tomatoes quickly, then store them out of the refrigerator in a paper bag. Once ripe, tomatoes can last for as long as three days.
A Range of Fruits
Most of you might not be aware of the fact that there are several fruits that are not meant to be refrigerated. We are sure you must be storing your fridge with all sorts of fruits but we bet that many of these are not meant for refrigeration. Some of the most common fruits that shouldn’t be kept in the fridge are avocado, apples, bananas, citrus fruits (like lemon, oranges, etc.), berries, peaches, apricots, and nectarines. If refrigerated, these fruits start losing their flavours and textures. However, if you want a crisp bite of your fruit, you can refrigerate them for 30 minutes prior to eating. When it comes to avocados, you must keep in mind never to store an under ripe in the fridge. But there’s no harm in keeping an already ripe or cut avocado in the fridge. Keep lemons, limes, and oranges at room temperature. Make sure you do not keep them at a close proximity as it might lead to fungal growth on them.
Berries also are not fit for refrigeration as they have a very short shelf life. So it makes little sense to store them in the fridge as you must eat them with a day or two of purchasing.
In fact, you shouldn’t even store melons inside the fridge. If you refrigerate them, they start breaking down and their texture become powdery and grainy. If you want to keep the fresh and juicy flavour of the melons intact, then you need to store them at room temperature. However, once cut, you can store them in the fridge for about three to four days. Cut melons stay fresh for a longer period of time inside the fridge.
Herbs
Those fresh herbs look amazing in the fridge, right? Absolutely wrong! While you might feel like stuff your refrigerator with just bought herbs, you must remember that when stored in the fridge, all herbs start withering at an exponential rate. The best way to keep herbs fresh for a longer time is by storing them in a glass jar filled with water. Keep this glass jar on your kitchen counter to keep those herbs fresh and crisp.
Some of the other food items that you must never refrigerate are salad dressings (vinegar or oil based), ketchup, soya sauce, cereals, all types of oils, coffee and pickles. Do not store spreads like peanut butter, honey, and jam in the fridge too as refrigeration makes these foods hard.
So, now you know the names of some of the most common foods in our kitchen that need no refrigeration. Next time onwards if you think of keeping something in the fridge, do keep this list handy.
Most of us might not be aware of it, but did you know that there are a horde of foods that actually do not need refrigeration? In fact these foods stay better when they are not refrigerated as their flavour change adversely when they are kept in the fridge. Not only this, it can also reduce their nutritional quality and make them more susceptible to getting spoilt. Ever thought which these food items might be? You never know; a few of them might just be resting in your fridge!
In this article, we will list out some of the most common foods that you must never refrigerate. So, let’s get started!
Bread
It is the quintessential breakfast item that no household can do without. Ever wondered why your bread doesn’t taste as good as it tasted before you refrigerated it? This is because keeping it in the fridge makes the bread dry much faster. While it is perfect to freeze the bread, but refrigeration is definitely a big no! The best practice would be to either consume the bread within four days by keeping it in room temperature or freeze the bread. Make sure you store it in a proper bread box to keep its taste intact and fresh.
Potato
Refrigeration is definitely one of the worst form of abuses that one can do on potatoes. The taste of potatoes gets badly affected because of refrigeration. Ideally you should store them in paper bags primarily because plastic bags tend to lead to moisture formation and accelerate the process of decaying.
Like potatoes, onions are also not meant for refrigeration. It is best to store them in a paper bag in a cool and dark spot. You should keep them away from potatoes as they tend to release lots of moisture and gases that can spoil the onions. The moisture in the refrigerator softens the onions by making them unfit for consumption.
Tomato
Tomatoes start losing their flavour and taste and become soft and mushy if refrigerator. If you want to ripen the tomatoes quickly, then store them out of the refrigerator in a paper bag. Once ripe, tomatoes can last for as long as three days.
A Range of Fruits
Most of you might not be aware of the fact that there are several fruits that are not meant to be refrigerated. We are sure you must be storing your fridge with all sorts of fruits but we bet that many of these are not meant for refrigeration. Some of the most common fruits that shouldn’t be kept in the fridge are avocado, apples, bananas, citrus fruits (like lemon, oranges, etc.), berries, peaches, apricots, and nectarines. If refrigerated, these fruits start losing their flavours and textures. However, if you want a crisp bite of your fruit, you can refrigerate them for 30 minutes prior to eating. When it comes to avocados, you must keep in mind never to store an under ripe in the fridge. But there’s no harm in keeping an already ripe or cut avocado in the fridge. Keep lemons, limes, and oranges at room temperature. Make sure you do not keep them at a close proximity as it might lead to fungal growth on them.
Berries also are not fit for refrigeration as they have a very short shelf life. So it makes little sense to store them in the fridge as you must eat them with a day or two of purchasing.
In fact, you shouldn’t even store melons inside the fridge. If you refrigerate them, they start breaking down and their texture become powdery and grainy. If you want to keep the fresh and juicy flavour of the melons intact, then you need to store them at room temperature. However, once cut, you can store them in the fridge for about three to four days. Cut melons stay fresh for a longer period of time inside the fridge.
Herbs
Those fresh herbs look amazing in the fridge, right? Absolutely wrong! While you might feel like stuff your refrigerator with just bought herbs, you must remember that when stored in the fridge, all herbs start withering at an exponential rate. The best way to keep herbs fresh for a longer time is by storing them in a glass jar filled with water. Keep this glass jar on your kitchen counter to keep those herbs fresh and crisp.
Some of the other food items that you must never refrigerate are salad dressings (vinegar or oil based), ketchup, soya sauce, cereals, all types of oils, coffee and pickles. Do not store spreads like peanut butter, honey, and jam in the fridge too as refrigeration makes these foods hard.
So, now you know the names of some of the most common foods in our kitchen that need no refrigeration. Next time onwards if you think of keeping something in the fridge, do keep this list handy.
