Posted by Rachel Schwartz on 4/15/2020 to
Family
Should Be Refrigerated
- Ketchup--Keeping ketchup refrigerated helps maintain flavor and freshness and fights off bacteria.
- Cooking oil--The colder temperatures keep cooking oil from going rancid quickly. Unless you are going to be going through the oil quickly, it's best to keep it refrigerated.
- Butter--While salted butter might be okay to leave on the counter since the salt acts as a natural preservative, unsalted butter should be kept in the refrigerator. Otherwise, it can spoil within one or two weeks if left out.
- Maple syrup--With a shelf life of around one year, maple syrup should be stored in the refrigerator after opening to prevent mold from forming.
- Whole wheat flour--If stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator, it will last much longer than if stored at room temperature. The cooler temperatures prevent the wheat germ from spoiling quickly.
- Nuts and nut oils--These can both go rancid when left out at room temperature for too long. Like snacking on peanuts and almonds during the day? Keeping in them in the fridge will keep them fresh.
- Natural peanut butter--The oils in the peanut butter can spoil at room temperature. And because it's natural, there are no preservatives in this peanut butter which means it is prone to mold if not refrigerated.
Should Not Be Refrigerated
- Coffee--While some people may store their coffee beans or grounds in their refrigerator, it's not good for the coffee. Chilling or freezing coffee causes condensation to form which negatively impacts flavor.
- Bread--While keeping bread in the fridge may prevent it from growing moldy too quickly, it also dries out faster and causes the starches in the bread to change structure. Ever pulled a piece of bread out of the refrigerator to find it's gone stale or developed a rubbery texture? That would be why. Instead, store bread at room temperature or in the freezer if you want to save it for another time.
- Tomatoes--If stored in the refrigerator, tomatoes can turn mealy and dull, so they're best left out on the countertop at room temperature. Sliced tomatoes, however, should be refrigerated.
- Fresh fruit--In general, all fruit (berries, apples, peaches, etc.) fare better when stored at room temperature. However, if you are not going to eat them quickly or if they are a week or older, it's best to move them to the refrigerator to make them last a little longer.
- Honey--Honey should always be stored at room temperature when possible as the colder temperatures of a refrigerator can cause honey to thicken and crystallize.
- Onions--If left in the fridge long enough, onions can get soft and mushy while the humidity inside the fridge can cause mold to form. To avoid this, store onions at room temperature. However, once an onion has been cut, it should be moved to the refrigerator.
- Potatoes--Like bread, cold temperatures cause the starches in potatoes to begin breaking down. Once this happens, you will be left with a super sweet potato that will also take on a gritty texture when cooked. To prevent this from happening, store your potatoes in a dark, cool place at room temperature such as a cellar or bottom kitchen cabinet.
