1 - Bread
Putting bread in the fridge dries it out so much it becomes unpleasant to eat. Why's this? Well, the coolness of the fridge dehydrates the bread by hardening its starch molecules and detaching the water molecules, making it hard and stale.
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The bread will still be edible, just not very nice! People often think that putting their bread in the fridge keeps it fresher for longer, but science isn't on their side. So i you have a loaf that you want to save for a long time, try putting it in the freezer as soon as you get it home instead. This means it won't get moldy and, if properly wrapped in a freezer bag instead of its original one, it can last for up to six months. This works especially well with sliced bread because you'll be able to just slice off the amount you need, when you need it!2 - Potatoes
Store your potatoes somewhere dry, never ever in the fridge! Putting potatoes somewhere cold like the fridge can increase the sugar levels in them, leading to the formation of a chemical called acrylamide when the potatoes are cooked.
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Too much acrylamide can be hazardous to the health of both people and animals. Plus, the potatoes will become overly sweet and gritty if left in the fridge, which most people don't like. They'll turn darker when cooking as well. So instead of the fridge, store them in a cupboard or somewhere else with a normal room temperature (you should be looking at about 45F). If you've got a root cellar, as some chefs do, so much the better! Put all potatoes in paper bags instead of plastic ones, too, as this will help them to breathe and reduce the chances of rot. Doing this should increase your potato life by about three weeks!3 - Tomatoes
Everyone knows that tomatoes are really a fruit and not a vegetable, but not everyone knows how to store them! Most people love the flavour of tomatoes, but putting one in a fridge to keep it fresh will instead take all its flavour away.
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The cold temperature makes its volatile compounds - its acids, sugars etc - break down and you're left with a tasteless, discoloured, limp thing instead. Plus, if you put an unripe tomato in the fridge (and most supermarket produce isn't fully ripened) the temperature will stop it ripening. Not good! So store them like you'd store your (other) fruit: out in a bowl on the kitchen counter, maybe with some kitchen paper under them. Keep fully ripened tomatoes out of the sun, too. If this advice is followed, they should last at least a week, maybe longer! You can then use them to make delicious salsas, salads etc.4 - Coffee
People love the aesthetic qualities of coffee as well as its taste. But no matter how attractive an ornamental jar of coffee looks on a shelf or in the fridge, it shouldn't be there! Coffee needs to be stored in an air-tight container, somewhere dark, dry and cool.
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The National Coffee Association advises that coffee be kept away from excessive air, moisture, heat, and light, in that order - and the fridge has two of those in plenty. So what the fridge will do is add too much moisture to the coffee and cause its oils to dissolve, taking away the taste and the richness. The odours of whatever else is in the fridge will also taint the coffee, and fridges often have a lot of odours! So store it in a cupboard instead. If you're a real coffee connoisseur, invest in special containers that keep the coffee stored in its highest quality state.5 - Honey
If you keep honey in the fridge, it'll crystallize and become hard to spread on your toast, plus potentially have differences in its texture and taste. (As with the coffee, the odours in the fridge won't help matters much either.)
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But you don't need to put it anywhere near the fridge anyway, because honey can naturally keep itself preserved and safe. Its PH content protects it from bacteria and it won't spoil no matter how long you keep it. The bees who made it knew what they were doing.What you should do with your honey is keep it in an airtight jar in a dry room. You can freeze it if neccessary as well, just don't refrigerate it! If you've kept it in your fridge up til now, don't worry - put the container of honey into a sink of hot water and it should go back to normal.
6 - Watermelons
A 2006 study by the US Department of Agriculture (which appeared in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry) showed that storing watermelons in the fridge significantly reduced their carotenoid compounds, which are antitioxidants such as lycopene - usually at a high level in watermelon - and beta carotene.
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That sounds complicated but it basically means: putting a watermelon in the fridge will cause it to lose much of the stuff that makes it healthy. That's not good, so where should you store it instead? Experts say that keeping it at room temperature is best. Also of note is that that average shelf life of watermelons is three weeks if it's stored at 55 degrees, but only one week if it's kept in the fridge. So if you want the healthy benefits from watermelons and you want them to last longer, keep them out of the cold! Put them on a counter instead.7 - Onions
Peeled onions are fine to keep in the fridge (in a sealed container), but unpeeled ones are not. Their skin will deteriorate if kept in the fridge, and their shelf life will significantly decrease. Like potatoes, they should be kept somewhere cool and dry like a cupboard, and stored in paper bags rather than plastic ones.
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Keep the light off your onions, too, as too much light will cause them to taste bitter. And don't put onions and potatoes too close to each other! The potatoes give off a gas which causes onions to spoil. If you use them a lot, find a good, dry, easily dividable system for your potatoes and onions - just make sure it's not the fridge for either of them.Many people choose to peel the onions they will need for the week and store the slices, wrapped, in the fridge. That's also fine, and probably quite time-saving!
8 - Pumpkins
A Halloween favourite both to decorate and to eat. But if you plan to eat it rather than let it go moldy on display, where should you store it? Well, if it's just been bought and it's not been sliced/pureed etc, don't put it in the fridge.
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Pumpkins manage fine in dry, dark places, and (like potatoes, onions etc) can last a long time there. Or, they can be stored outside, if protected well enough from both sun and snow - many people find this very a aesthetically pleasing addition to their garden, too! But don't put a pumpkin on any wooden furniture you want to keep nice, the moisture inside the pumpkin can damage the wood. As for eating straight away rather than displaying first - pumpkin puree can last about a week in the fridge, or even longer if put in the freezer. Many people like to eat the seeds as well!
9 - Garlic
Garlic is mostly used for flavouring dishes. Though it's often considered a herb it's actually related to the onion - you can tell by the skin - so it ought to be stored in the same way! Just like the onion, it will quickly deteriorate if kept in the fridge and the moisture in there can make it go moldy.
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Also just like the onion, it should be kept in a cool, dry place. Storage at about 60F is best to maintain the garlic's flavour.Also, it's fine to store chopped garlic in the fridge, as long as it's in a sealed container and isn't kept in there for too long. (And as long as you don't mind your fridge smelling of garlic - sometimes, no matter how careful you are, the smell gets out.) But don't put any garlic at all in the freezer or the taste and texture of it will be lost.
10 - Open cans
Not many people know this, and are shocked when they find out - open cans in the fridge can be a health risk. Some people put half-used cans of food in the fridge without a second thought, willing to risk hardened or dried food for the sake of convenience.
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But there are many reasons, other than taste, why you shouldn't do it. What can happen is, the tin and iron can start to dissolve from the can walls whilst in the fridge and end up in your food. There are no serious long-term effects of this, but it's certainly not good for you.What you ought to do instead is tip any leftover food into a bowl, cover the bowl with something airtight, and put thatinto the fridge. This reduces the risks and keeps the food looking and tasting better. Do this right after cooking - it takes so little time but it's worth it!
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