Making food is one of the most enjoyable things on Earth, and it usually starts with opening the trusty old refrigerator. We grab our ingredients, start chopping and throw everything into the pan. But did you know that most of our cooking begins with a few major mistakes being made? That’s right, we shouldn’t find everything in our refrigerator.
Surely some foods aren’t supposed to go there, for numerous reasons. Cold isn’t a great temperature for everything, and we’re about to give you a few examples of foods that should never cross your fridge.
APPLES
Yes, I know that apples stay up longer when you keep them in a refrigerator, but apples also release a herbal fuel that causes your other top to ripen too quickly. It’s a much better idea to keep them out of the fridge. So they won’t crush your other fruit, and their enzymes can make the apple’s flavor stand out more. Just don’t wait weeks to consume them.
EGGS
This is not a “better to keep them out of the fridge” item, however, it is a “don’t count the number so why bother” item. Eggs do not pass faster while stored out of the refrigerator, nor does it affect their flavor. Refrigerator space is often a very limited item, so eggs are one of the first things to tackle when you want to make the most of every rectangular inch.
BASIL
It’s almost obvious, but it’s much better to keep basil in a pot so it can regrow indefinitely. It doesn’t make sense for everyone to go back to buying basil because that plant is certainly indestructible and as long as you don’t keep it in your fridge, you should be getting more new leaves than you’ll ever want to use. Unless you have a wicked pesto addiction, that’s a one-of-a-kind problem.
PEPPERS
If you want your peppers to be crisp, it’s probably a good idea to keep them out of the fridge. Low-temperature environments tend to affect the crispness of the outer shell, although it does affect the flavor. But hello, the feeling is also quite crucial!
HOT SAUCE
The name pretty much implies it, but you shouldn’t keep the sauce hot in a cold environment. For one thing, there’s a lot of vinegar in there anyway that bacteria have absolutely no risk of developing. For two, bloodless environments numb the spices, meaning you’ll probably come out with a less hot sauce. Nobody wants that, right?
CAKE
That’s right, the cake should not go through the fridge. If you have leftover cake, you should keep it out of the refrigerator doors in an airtight field so it can maintain its most useful moisture content. And we all know that cakes are more delicious when stored moist, so all you have to do is make sure you have a variety of airtight boxes in various styles and sizes. That way, you can have your cake and eat it too.
TOMATO
Tomatoes are another of these foods that “keep longer, but taste worse in the refrigerator.” Keeping the tomatoes in the fridge will get them all shriveled and comfortable, while keeping them in an extremely dry area will allow them to develop a completely rich flavor and not just the standard “strong water” you normally have.
CUCUMBERS
Another for the list. Cucumbers that are stored in refrigerators lose much of their flavor and end up tasting very watery. So it all boils down to you shouldn’t buy meals to keep in the fridge indefinitely and just consume them within the next few days so they can taste superior.
OLIVE OIL
Olive oil should never be moved from your refrigerator because it can be harder in colder temperatures. The first-class idea for olive oil is to keep it dry and as close to room temperature as possible so it can live in its liquid form longer.
NUTELLA
Just as a bonus, even unhealthy foods are sometimes best stored outside of the fridge. Keeping Nutella stored at bloodless temperatures will cause it to harden and lose its creamy consistency. And at that point, you can also have a real chocolate bar in your sandwich, right? Also, the cold causes its flavor to broaden over the years, which is also something you probably don’t want to happen to your Nutella.