The refrigerator will store fruit, vegetables, meat, cheese, salami… But there are things that fundamentally do not belong in it. Do you know about them?
The temperature in the refrigerator varies depending on the location and the food stored there. “For example, in the lower shelves, where cheeses, raw meat and poultry are stored in closed containers, a suitable temperature is 0 – 2 °C, in the middle shelves, which are intended for storing milk, cheese, sausages, eggs and ready meals, the optimal temperature is 3 – 5 °C. And perhaps such drawers with vegetables should be two degrees lower… Regardless of whether you have the temperature in the refrigerator set to any cold, it is good to know that there are foods that do not do well in this climate. And which ones are they?
Tomatoes and peppers
Vegetables are expensive. That’s why it’s no wonder that you put it in the cold – that is, directly in the refrigerator. However, according to experts, this storage is not very worthwhile. Tomatoes don’t like the cold and sooner or later they start to get moldy. And so it’s only a matter of time before they end up on the edge of your plates… A similar warning applies to peppers. A long stay in the cold plus the humidity, which reaches up to 95% in the refrigerator, can spoil the peppers. The fruits lose their firmness, are soft (rubbery) and have skin covered with dark spots. Therefore, store peppers and tomatoes in a cool, dry and well-ventilated place (for example, in a cellar where the temperature is 7 to 10 °C). It will last you up to ten days there.
Basil
This herb smells of Mediterranean cuisine and you can use it on pizza, pasta, tomato specialties, pesto and as an ingredient in drinks. If you have a fresh bunch of basil, never put it loose in the fridge. Aromatic greens absorb the odors of other foods and lose their aroma. If you want to keep it in the refrigerator for a short time, then at most in a resealable airtight container, which you have lined with damp paper towels.
Onions and garlic
Nothing can be cooked in the kitchen without this duo… Therefore, if you want your vegetables to last, don’t put them in the fridge. Due to the damp cold, onions will quickly mold. The garlic, in turn, will lose its firmness and famous pungency. And you won’t be able to cook much with “rubbery” garlic residue. Therefore, unpack this aromatic vegetable from the plastic bag after purchase and store it in a cool, dry and well-ventilated place.
Bananas
Did you buy a big bunch of fruit at a discount and don’t have time to eat it? But definitely don’t put it in the fridge. In the cold, tropical fruits lose their famous sweet taste… And not only that. Before you can say cobbler, they’ll be browning and floury in your fridge. And then you can’t even put such “batters” in a smoothie… At most, they end up in banana bread dough. So if you have a lot of bananas, separate them from the bunch and store them at around 12-14°C. If you wrap the ends in foil, they will ripen a little slower.
Potatoes
In fact, this vegetable is such a “pea princess”. If you store it in a warm place, it will start to soften, sprout, and then you can put it in mashed potatoes. Of course, if you store potatoes in the fridge, you won’t help yourself either. Due to the cold, the starch in the potatoes turns into sugar and the result will be a (not always pleasant) sweet taste. Potatoes that have been stored for a long time in the refrigerator also often change their consistency – they are more gooey, more watery and have an unnatural color. Therefore, it is better to store these “treasures” in a dark place (in a cellar or pantry) where the temperature is 6-10 °C. If you do not have storage space, it is better to buy potatoes only in the necessary quantity.
