Hmmm…refrigerate, to be or not to be?
If you have ever wondered if a certain food item should be kept in the refrigerator or not, read on! I have had some doubts recently because some of my foods were going bad long before I thought they should be turning.
So, I looked into what foods are better off when they are refrigerated…or NOT.
And in a case of SHTF, it’s good to know that these items don’t require refrigeration when it’s not available.
I don’t think I’m the only one that has assumed the fridge is good for keeping everything fresher, longer. Am I?
I already knew about some of these, to be honest. But, some really surprised me. Maybe some will surprise you too!
Related: 10 Foods You Should Never Store Together
Garlic
Garlic will actually deteriorate at a much quicker pace when it is kept in the fridge.
The reason is because of the added moisture that is present at refrigerated temperatures. Keep it in a dry area at room temperature, that has decent air circulation, but away from direct light.
So, on the counter it is! Also, it’s best to keep it in its whole form until ready to use.
Nuts
I personally don’t keep nuts in the fridge. But, I know people who do, or did.
Cooler temps might help maintain their natural oils, but it can also alter or diminish flavor. If you are going to use them in the near future, in an airtight container in the pantry will work very well.
If you aren’t going to use them for quite some time, skip the fridge and go right to the freezer.
Honey
This is one that I think is common sense. Have you ever tried to squeeze a honey bottle, or pour some out, after it’s been refrigerated?
Not only does it require more muscle than I care to work just to get a teaspoon of honey. Refrigeration also speeds up crystallization.
Butternut Squash
Refrigerating a butternut squash can lead to its quality diminishing due to the moisture inside the refrigerator.
As long as it’s kept whole, it should do better on the counter at room temperature.
After it’s cut, it can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, or frozen for a year.
Onion
Whole onions should be kept in a cool, dark, and dry place.
Refrigeration can cause the natural starch to spoil quicker.
However, once they are cut, it’s best to keep them in the fridge in a sealed container.
Pumpkins
As if I could fit one in my fridge anyway, but pumpkins should be allowed to “cure” in natural sunlight. This will toughen the skin to help keep them fresh longer.
Afterward, keep them in a dry and dark location that is ventilated, but no colder than 50° F (10° C).
Once they are cured and kept properly, pumpkins can last up to 6 months.
Related: How To Preserve Your Whole Harvest For Winter Without Refrigeration
Olive Oil
When oils are kept in the refrigerator the consistency and color most likely will change, leading to a lesser quality product. On the flip side, olive oil will also deteriorate quickly in heat or sunlight. Therefore, olive oil is best when kept in a cool and dark place such as the pantry or cupboard, rather than on the counter.
Melons
Uncut and unripe melons should be stored at room temperature, such as on the counter. This helps with ripening and flavor.
However, once cut, melons should be refrigerated in an air-tight container to maintain the freshness and flavor.
Potatoes
As with onions, the potato has starch that will turn into sugar when cold, which will affect the flavor and color.
It’s best to keep (unwashed) potatoes in a burlap bag in an area out of direct sunlight.
Same with sweet potatoes, in case you are wondering.
Coffee
What?? This could explain a lot, but I now know that coffee will quickly take on the smell of other refrigerated ingredients.
Not to mention, the moisture from the fridge will alter the taste as well.
Related: How to Keep Moisture and Pests Away from Your Food Stockpile
Bread
Bread that will be consumed within a few days should not be refrigerated.
Just as with potatoes, the refrigerator will change the natural state of the bread and turn it stale quicker…just the opposite of what people think when they put it in there. If it’s going to be longer than a few days, put it in the freezer. You can pop frozen bread into a toaster or oven to make it fresh again.
Hot Sauce
Another interesting find, because my hot sauces are in the fridge as I type this.
While it’s not harmful to store them in there, it’s just not necessary.
The vinegar and heat of the chilis will keep them safe, even when kept at room temperature after opening.
Avocados
Interesting. This is one that I had wrong. If you have an avocado that needs ripening, it should be kept at room temperature for at least 4-7 days. Keeping them cold will hasten the ripening process. However, once it has become ripened, it can be kept in the refrigerator until you are ready to eat it.
Peanut Butter
I don’t keep my processed peanut butter in the fridge, never even considered it. But, I do know that some people store their natural peanut butter there.
However, the cold temps will cause the oils to separate quicker and it will become much harder to mix again when cold.
Also, remember what I said about oils in the fridge earlier. So when the oils separate, they are subjected to the same discoloration and loss of flavor as just a bottle of oil is. If you are going to consume it within 9 months, leave it in the cupboard.
Bananas
Warmer temperatures, around 59-68°F (15-20°C) help a banana to ripen properly, and this process stops at colder temperatures, such as the fridge.
Not that I eat the skin, but the colder temps will also turn the skin black much quicker.
Dried Spices
Good, I have never kept a dried spice in the fridge. Condensation will build up and ruin them.
Dried spices can safely store in the cupboard, while maintaining freshness and flavor for up to a year.
Related: 10 Spices That Make Your Food Last Longer
Dried Fruits
I didn’t necessarily know this, but got lucky that I didn’t think they needed refrigeration.
The moisture will alter the flavor, texture, and overall length of time they will stay good. They should be kept in an air-tight container for maximum freshness, for up to 6 months.
Ketchup
Another surprise. But it makes some sense, I suppose. It is debated on whether or not ketchup must be stored in the refrigerator or cupboard. The high level of vinegar, sugar and salt makes it safe to store at room temperature, some people say.
I hadn’t given it thought before now, but I do notice ketchup bottles left out in restaurants. But, old habits might be hard for me to kick at home though.
Processed Pickled Veggies
As long as the jar does not become contaminated, by something like a dirty utensil, the preservatives used should help the jar of pickled veggies to stay just fine in a cupboard.
Just make sure the lid stays on tight, and keep an eye on the “use by” date.
If you have made your own, it might be best to store in the fridge, because you most likely didn’t add as many preservatives.
Related: 5 Unusual Things To Pickle
Soy Sauce
You might notice a label stating that it should be refrigerated.
But just like ketchup, soy sauce is kept on the tables at restaurants.
Citrus Fruits
Many citrus fruits are more flavorful and juicy when they are kept on the counter or in a cupboard. If you plan on consuming them within 2 weeks, keep them out.
However, if you plan on having them around longer, put them in a plastic bag first, then store them in the crisper drawer in the fridge.
Fresh Soft Herbs
Soft and fresh herbs should be treated similar to fresh cut flowers, in a glass container with fresh water, and clipped ends. This includes herbs like parsley, basil, mint, dill, or coriander.
When they are stored in the fridge they tend to wilt and get soggy due to the moisture in there.
However, hard herbs should be stored in the fridge, wrapped in a paper towel and kept in an air-tight container, placed in the crisper drawer. Hard herbs include thyme, rosemary, oregano, or sage.
Tomatoes
I’m pretty proud, because I knew this one, and never keep my tomatoes in the fridge until they are cut. They sit on my window ledge until I am ready for them.
Cold temperatures will damage the membranes of the tomatoes, making them mealy and watery. They will also have far less flavor when cold.
I hope I was able to share a few items that surprised you, so you can enjoy these items more now that you know.
What are some items that you keep on your counter that other people probably keep in their refrigerator?
It’s valuable information to have, not just to save space in your fridge. But, also if you don’t have access to refrigeration.
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I think this is a list that should be adjusted by your location. Where we live in central Florida the humidity is extremely high. Even in the house with the ac running keeping the house at a nice temperature, counter stored bread will mold in no time.
But thank you.
Yes I agree. in Texas I find it hard to keep potatoes from going bad. Quicker then I want them to. But, yes location is key. Thanks and a good article. I will make some changes to my ways, maybe it will last longer. Some times we lose more then we think from storing it the wrong way.
I sure do.
Have a good Day Ya’ll
I live in dry dry dry SoCal and bread left out on the counter will mold in a week. High humidity for us is an unusual low spell for Central Florida. Perhaps if one is buying super enriched Wonder Bread (The wonder is that they have the chutzpah to call it “bread”) it won’t mold in a week or perhaps never mold. Is it true Wonder Bread has the same shelf life as Cheez Whiz?
Of course, in an EOTW situation, I will be thrilled to scarf down a whole loaf of Wonder Bread, mold and all.
what an education…I was totally out in left field…BUT, change will take time, & not many of us love change.
Thank you
I have heard that keeping leafy vegetables, and ‘berry’ fruits in between layers of paper towel, will help to absorb moisture, and keep them lasting quite a bit longer.
Also sprinkling with, or spraying them with a mixture of 1 tablespoon vinegar to 1 cup water, will kill fungus and help them last a lot longer also. Rinse after, should not change the flavor of your food. If so, use a little less vinegar. What do you think?
Yes sir
I keep paper towels in my crisper and it dose help some. But the vinegar and water, can’t do. Don’t like the smell of vinegar. Only if I’m canning or making tator salad.
Yes we don’t like change, but for the better of it. It’s worth the change.
Ken,
I use a ratio of 1:10 vinegar and water to soak my berries. Rasp,straw black etc. Soak for about 20 min. Ckeans then great and inhibits the chemical that makes them breakdown so quickly..
They will themnkeep over a week in fridge and still be great..
I also take lettuce after I wash it and wrap in 5 or 6 papertowels then back in produce bag. Keeps for several weeks in crisper.
Good luck
Peace
MadFab
I ruined my small harvest of butternut squash by keeping them in the fridge drawer. Molded and rotted before I knew it. From now on will keep them cool and dry on the counter.
Actually,the Butternut squash is best kept out of sunlight. I keep mine in a spare bedroom,drapes drawn and heat register turned off in winter. Cool,dry and dark. I actually had 4 of them for a year. I had them toward the end and back of a shelf. When I discovered them,I was putting away the next years crop.
Thanks for the effort but I completely disagree, due to living in Arizona, where even with the air conditioner on it’s too hot. Pretty much everything goes in the fridge or freezer here or it rots very quickly. There is no “cool” but there is dark and dry in my cupboards. And avocados do great in the fridge; I take them out to ripen the day before I want to use them.
For those who live in cooler climates, the list might hold true. I know when I lived in Northern California, most of my condiments never had to be refrigerated, but now, they all do. So does flour, nuts, spices, extracts, extra supplements, etc.
Why spices? In a sealed jar they should be fine…
Living in SoCal, avocados are a staple here. Unless I am going to eat them right away like same day, they go in the fridge where the ripening process slows so that they keep longer. Nuts go in the freezer and they don’t need a significant defrosting period either. Soy sauce has sat out unrefrigerated for centuries in the Far East. Have you ever visited Saigon? Folks who have say it is blazingly hot there. Soy sauce sat out everywhere in Saigon in the 60s. Of course, soy sauce didn’t last as long sitting out there. It was consumed rapidly, unlike the U.S. where soy sauce in the typical household may be used three times a month. NHK has run TV programs on soy sauce manufacture. Soy sauce made the old fashioned way is fermented in barrels open to the air for years. Like whiskey, the longer it ferments, the better it is supposed to be. Also like whiskey, the longer it ferments, the more expensive it is. So I would think sitting out on your counter or in a dark closet in a bottle couldn’t possibly hurt it. For our preps purposes, I buy Kikkoman soy sauce in the one gallon can and leave it sealed. one hundred years from now someone will find the can, open it and it will still be good if the can hasn’t rusted through from outside moisture.
Instead of heating my persimmons to drive out the alum, I tried freezing them and it worked. You can freeze quartered or eighth persimmons and the alum will be gone when you thaw them. I don’t freeze them in a baggie, I put them on a plate in the freezer and after they are frozen I baggie them. I keep them frozen until eaten. A short while on the kitchen counter thaws them and they are good to eat. I suppose should I want to store them for several years I should vacuum seal them after they are frozen.
Between my wife and me, we eat 12 bananas a week, every week. I have tried many different ways to get the Cavendish bananas sold in SoCal to last longer. I have tried banana bags sold in various catalogs, I have tried putting masking tape on the stem ends. I have tried storing them in paper bags. The method I use that makes them last the longest in my house in my climate is to cut the stems off as close to the fruit as I can. I then place them with the cut stem end down, in a perforated bowl on the counter, each banana is stored with a space between it and the adjacent banana. It sounds weird, I know, but while the bananas will grow softer, blossom end rot is significantly diminished and the bruises that bananas acquire as the hired help in the store toss them around and customers drop them on the floor to pick them up and toss them back in the bins do propagate, but not as rapidly as when they remained in the bunch. Storing with the cut stem end down is the main change in prolonging the shelf life of bananas in my household. I have always stored them with the blossom end down and uncut stem end up with significantly shorter shelf life. As in so many things in life, the way I do it may not work for you, but it is worth trying for a couple of weeks in my opinion. Lacking a perforated bowl, a colander might work just as well. Or a sieve that is sturdy enough to support the bananas. I believe, without any supporting scientific evidence that the air circulating around the bananas from the perforations in the bowl contribute to extending the shelf life of the bananas.
Hey, LCC! I’ll tell my wife about your banana storage method. Generally, she just freezes the ones that start to brown, and later uses them in various recipes. But from time to time, she will be short her morning banana and be a little bummed out. Maybe this will make that rare.
Products like ketchup and soy sauce that is sold to restaurants is different then in the store. They may have other preservatives then retail.
From an old restaurant man.
Steven, laws prohibit not refrigerating condiments. Then have to be stored in a cooler over night. Ketchup creates gases when left unrefrigerated and will blow the caps right off the top. I thought same thing, after opening then refrigerate.
Stu: Laws differ from state to state and sometimes even from municipality to municipality. It is impossible to state categorically that laws prohibit leaving condiments out overnight in the open environment. I absolutely guarantee you that the laws in the PDRK are far more stringent than the food service laws in other states.
For instance, potatoes cannot be placed on the floor in a cardboard box in supermarkets. All vegetables have to be moved from place to place on a mobile cart. I once watched a local health department poobah have a screaming, foaming fit at a farmers market because the farmer had his extra potatoes in a cardboard box on the asphalt of the parking lot. I guess the poobah thought potatoes grew in those plastic bags. I wonder what he would do if he saw them being harvested.
I once picked out a nice piece of meat I wanted to have ground for hamburger. I asked the butcher to grind it for me. Something I have been doing for well over half a century. He told me he would do it this time but he was forbidden by state law to take any meat back into the butcher shop once it had left the butcher shop. I guess the folks in Schitzomento think that meat hangs on hooks out in the open as we see in open air markets in some other countries. I know the PDRK is well on its way to becoming third world country but the meat is still wrapped in clear plastic in the bins where the customers can select it.
Off topic but a relative of mine just informed me he will be moving to Florida within three months. I then realized that my grandson and I will the last members of our family to still live in the PDRK. I don’t know what grandson’s excuse is, but I have personal circumstances that preclude any such move. I feel trapped here but there is nothing I can do about it. Personally, were I he, I would have been gone the minute I graduated from college.
I forgot to add “stringent and ridiculous”
LCC,
In my grocery stores( Kroger, Safeway Albertsons ), they also will not grind meat for ya if has been in the case. Basically, ya have to call 2 days ahead of time get them to grind a burger mix for ya. And DON’T even think about asking for a mix of meats. I thought the man’s head would pop off when I asked them to blend Chuck and ribeye and brisket!!
Do ya know how much work that will entail, he says to me?
I have to weigh each piece, then grind, then clean after each grind then add it all up for the price!! I asked him if he was indeed a butcher? He walked off in a snit!!
Now I grind my own when I want a Special hamburger.
Peace
MadFab
Really?! you added ketchuo and hot sauce to your list?! Lame.
Never keep your bread in the fridge. The starch molecules in bread recrystallize very quickly at cool temperatures, and causes the bread to stale much faster when refrigerated.
If you want to find out if a salad dressing contains real olive oil, stick it in the fridge. If it gets cloudy you know you have the real McCoy.
I agree with many of the non refrigeration of many of the items here, but as said before … depending on the climate. Here in Arizona, (like VJ) bread not refrigerated will be moldy in less than a week. Whole onions will be moldy and rotten in about a week and a half, potatoes while sprouting in a fridge, last much longer refrigerated over lying on a counter top. All the condiments, I leave in cabinets not refrigerated, UNTIL OPENING … most jars recommend after opening refrigerate, and (though not one to blindly follow recommendations or directions) I tend to agree … after opening, a vacuum sealed jar, and losing that vacuum … refrigerate for best longevity. Regarding bread concept of freezing, I have never had luck freezing bread. It freezes fine, but ends up in defrosting, putting all the moisture at the bottom, making it a soggy mess.
I have a site related question. WHY do I get asked this question every single time I come here? It’s not like I flush cookies on a weekly basis, so shouldn’t there be a record? Isn’t that what cookies do?
>> This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
It’s now several laws regarding internet privacy and cookies. Unless you can prevent internet users in the European Union and California, ya gotta comply.
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2012/apr/13/new-law-cookies-affect-internet-browsing
https://law.stackexchange.com/questions/19085/u-s-laws-on-cookie-notices-on-websites
https://www.cookielaw.org/regulations/ccpa/
Use the right browser and extensions and cookies are not a problem. But there ARE what’s called permanent cookies. A bit more difficult to remove so best to not get them in the first place.
Shout out to LCC, PDRK isn’t the worst place to be stuck. My in laws have all moved out there the last few years, oh, they’re so liberal it would set your teeth on fire, pot smoking vegan PhDs…7 months into WN virus my wife did her 1st unaided situps today, and is taking some real steps on the parallel bars. We say Poco a Poco, a little bit at a time. I always have a prayer for you and yours.
Judge: Thanks for the good wishes. I really hope your wife’s recovery is speedy even though it is best to take it slowly. Remember the Seals mantra, slow is smooth, smooth is fast. Applies to P.T, too, in most cases.
I agree that the PDRK could be worse. I could be stuck in Joisey or Neuu Yawk. At least in the PDRK, property taxes for us really old dudes are low. My property taxes this tax period are less than $100 a month. Compare that however to my first four bedroom, two bath house where principal, interest, taxes and insurance came to $63 and change a month. The monthly car payment for my first almost new car was $65, $2 more than my house payment.
According to the Prop 13 Organization without Prop 13 my taxes would be $15,000 a year which, according to my old fashioned math is $1250 a month. I couldn’t afford to live here. It’s not exactly like I live in a McMansion either, still three bedrooms and 1 3/4 bathrooms and a room that was called a den that was a TV watching room back when a giant screen was 18 inches and was black and white.
Ketchup bottles in a restaurant?
Every one I go to hand out packets.
Sugar packets. Salt packets. Pepper packets. Other sauce packets.
Guess restaurants were tired of low life’s stealing the bottles…
Now if they have packets of TOILET PAPER…
And charge by the packet….