Get out of the fridge: which foods are too cold there
Created: 07/10/2022 08:36
By: Maria Wendel
Do you always keep perishable food in the fridge because that's where it stays fresh the longest?
You are more likely to harm some products.
From vegetables and fruit to dairy products, meat and sausages, to fish: Some even put bread and coffee in the fridge.
But you're not doing all foods any favors by a long shot.
Because cool storage is not ideal for all foods, with some it even causes them to go bad faster, lose their aroma or start to mold due to the moisture in the refrigerator.
Therefore, keep the following tips in mind as to which foods you should get out of the fridge quickly.
The refrigerator is not the best place to store some fruits, vegetables and other foods.
© Andriy Popov/Imago
Correct storage: This fruit does not belong in the fridge
Apples: Apples should be stored in a dark and cool place, but not in the fridge.
They stay crisper and tastier in the cellar or in a cool pantry.
Peaches, plums, cherries, etc.: Stone fruit in general does not need to be kept in the refrigerator, as it is too cold for these varieties.
Therefore, store them at room temperature.
Bananas: Bananas have no place in the fridge either, the skin discolors faster there and the taste suffers.
Lemons, oranges, limes: citrus fruits like it warm and are sensitive to storage in the refrigerator.
They like a cool pantry instead.
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Get out of the fridge: it's too cold for these vegetables
Tomatoes: The nightshade does not like it cold or damp.
Even if many people put their tomatoes in the fridge, you are doing the aroma and consistency a disservice.
It is therefore better to store at room temperature.
Cucumbers: It is also too cold for green vegetables in the fridge, so it is better to store cucumbers at room temperature.
Onions and Garlic: Do not store either of these in the fridge.
They lose flavor and give it off to anything nearby.
Instead, onions and garlic like it cool, dark, and dry.
Potatoes: Storing potatoes in the refrigerator can lead to a change in taste, because the cold turns starch into sugar.
When frying or frying, the sugar is converted into carcinogenic acrylamide.
Be sure to get the potatoes out of the fridge!
With the sandpit trick, on the other hand, you can keep potatoes fresh for longer.
Some types of vegetables, on the other hand, feel very comfortable in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator.
These include broccoli, leeks, carrots, cauliflower, turnip greens, mushrooms and beans.
Post-ripening fruit and ripening gases
Note that certain types of fruit and vegetables should not be stored next to each other because some emit the ripening gas methylene, while others belong to the types that continue to ripen.
Ethylene makes many fruits and vegetables in the area spoil faster.
For example, do not store apples and tomatoes next to bananas, cabbage or cucumbers.
These foods don't need to be in the fridge either
bread
honey
Coffee
Oil (except nut oils)
Spices
A special case that can be argued about are eggs: in Germany they only have to be refrigerated about 18 days after the laying date (note the instructions on the egg carton).
Before that, they are protected by the citicula, so they don't necessarily have to be kept in the refrigerator.
Only if you bought your eggs chilled should you continue to chill them at home.
Incidentally, it is also important where in the refrigerator you store the food, because there are different cold zones in the different compartments.
