But the good news is that there are four more weekdays left for me to post before this weekend. And today brings some (probably surprising) info on which foods you DON'T want to store in your fridge. I was actually very shocked when I began researching this topic and have certainly made some changes in my storage habits since.
The majority of the time, if an item is perishable, it will go in the fridge. Milk? In the fridge. Chopped pineapple? In the fridge. Strawberries? Yes, you guessed it: in the fridge.
The cold temperature setting in a fridge can keep bacteria from forming and will also slow down the ripening process for many fruits, thus making them keep for longer periods of time.
But certain foods actually do better if you don't refrigerate them. Below is a list of such foods with a short explanation...
Note the tomatoes in the fridge...which should *not* be there!
~ Root Vegetables: This includes items like potatoes, turnips, carrots, etc.
~ Bell Peppers: They become soft faster and develop black spots in the fridge.
~ Avocados: They will get a hard, grainy texture instead of softening as they ripen.
~ Bananas: They will turn black faster.
~ Tomatoes: They will end up losing retention in their skin and will lose flavor.
~ Breads and Cakes: Unless the recipe states otherwise, these items keep best at room temperature. A fridge can make them dry out faster.
~ Honey and Peanut Butter: They will dry out faster.
One interested fact to note is that refrigerating a potato will increase its sugar contact, which can lead to higher levels of the carcinogenic chemical acrylamide the potatoes produce when they are cooked at high temperatures through baking, frying or grilling. Yikes!
So make sure to keep these tips and tid-bits in mind next time you come home with a bag full of delicious groceries!
What a great list!
ReplyDeleteOne note thought--just so you know, my microbiology prof was adamant that everyone should keep opened jars of peanut butter in the fridge, because virtually every commercial source of peanut butter in the U.S. is contaminated with Aspergillus fungus. That means their toxin, Aflatoxin, is in the peanut butter, and the fungus can multiply (therefore producing more Aflatoxin) at room/cupboard temperature. Fridge temperature, however, keeps the peanut butter too cold for the fungi to multiply or produce more toxin. Just FYI :)
I had no idea! Oddly enough, the last jar of non-hydrogenated peanut butter I bought had printed on the label that it should be stored in the fridge.
DeleteI'll be storing mine there from here on! Thanks for sharing :)