For these items often found in
the refrigerator, the answer ranges from 'not always' to a resounding 'never!'
Melissa Breyer
September 10, 2014, 3:57 p.m.
The United States has its share of memorable nicknames
(think land of the free, home of the brave), but we should add one more: land
of the ginormous refrigerator. Somewhere along the line, we went from
reasonably-sized fridges to cavernous, commercial-style units suitable to chill
enough food for an army. Whatever the reasons — which are likely a mix of
fashion and our propensity for giant grocery hauls — we use a lot of power to
keep a lot of food cold.
But if you’re looking to downsize your refrigerator or
simply decrease the load you put on your current icebox, there are a number of
foods that really don’t mind being left out of the cold. And while food safety
is of concern to all, not all foods require refrigeration. And in fact, many
foods fare better when left at room temperature. So with that in mind, here are
foods that commonly end up in the fridge, when sometimes they don’t really need
to be there.
1. Bread
If you like hard bread, keep it in the fridge. If you like
soft, flavorful bread, keep it at room temperature. The refrigerator will help
keep your bread from getting moldy, but it will also dry your bread out, which
is a bummer when it comes to tender, toothsome bread. If you don’t go through a
loaf within a few days, put it in the freezer, which will preserve the texture.
(If you have unsliced bread or bagels, slice them first so that you can take
out individual slices that will thaw more quickly.)
2. Eggs
If you live in Europe, you don’t need to refrigerate your
eggs; for American egg eaters, however, the fridge is recommended. Why the
discrepancy? Eggs in Europe are processed differently than their counterparts
across the pond; eggs in the United States are at higher risk of developing
salmonella if they are not kept refrigerated.
3. Butter
Spreading hard butter on a piece of fragile toast requires
skill and wizardry rarely accessible during the groggy morning rush; which is
why a lot of people like to keep their butter out. But given that it’s a dairy
product, some fear that it will sour and quickly become rancid. The USDA’s food
safety hotline says that, in fact, leaving your butter out is fine. (Although
it might spoil a little more quickly – and since food waste is a big no-no,
depending on how quickly you go through butter, you can leave some in the
fridge and leave some out.)
4. Honey
Honey’s many magical qualities make it an incredible
preservative — ancient cultures didn’t use it to embalm dead bodies for
nothing! Honey can last forever, it doesn’t need to be refrigerated. And in
fact, refrigeration causes it to form crystals ... so if you like crunchy
honey, go for it, but otherwise keep it in your pantry.
5. Cake
Some cakes need to be refrigerated, but doing so can cause
them to become dried out. Cakes with no frosting, or that have been frosted
with a simple buttercream or ganache, are good left out (in an airtight
container) for three days. Most cakes freeze well too, so if you want to save
yourself from eating the whole thing too quickly, employ the freezer as your
ally.
6. Coffee
At some point everyone started storing their coffee in the
cold, but if you keep your coffee grounds or beans in the refrigerator or
freezer, you are doing your joe a disservice. Condensation can affect the beans
and cause them to lose their beautiful roast flavor — the key is an air-tight
glass or ceramic container, kept it in a dark, cool location.
7. Avocados
This depends on where your avocado is in its ripening cycle
and when you want to eat it, and you can use this to your advantage. An unripe
avocado will cease ripening in the cold, so if it’s ready to eat, refrigerate
it. But if you have rock-hard avocados, they need a room-temperature
environment to arrive at their heavenly buttery texture.
8. Bananas
Like avocados, only refrigerate bananas when you want to
inhibit ripening. In the fridge they will remain unripe and their skin will
become a sickly deep brown (which should be noted is only an aesthetic
consideration), so keep them out until they start to turn.
9. Melons
Melons should be left on the counter to sweeten. Only once
they’re cut (or if they are getting over-ripe) should they be put in the
fridge.
10. Tomatoes
Do you like juicy, bright-tasting tomatoes or bland, mealy
ones? We’re guessing the former, which is why you should never put your
tomatoes in the fridge. Chilling tomatoes breaks down the sugars, acids and
aroma-producing compounds that give them their beautiful flavor; the cold also
damages the fruit’s cell structure, resulting in that unpleasant texture. Keep
them at room temperature (and out of direct sunlight).
11. Potatoes
Some people think that the refrigerator qualifies as an
appropriate “cool, dark place” for storing potatoes, but it doesn’t.
Refrigeration temperature is too cool and causes a spud’s starches to convert
to sugar, resulting in altered flavor and color. Keep them in a cool, dark
place that isn’t quite as cool as the fridge. (Their preferred temperature is
around 50 degrees.)
The “cool, dark place” scenario applies to onions too, they
don’t require the refrigerator. What they do like is air circulation, so keep
them in a mesh bag – and don’t keep them near your potatoes, whose moisture and
gasses will hasten their decay.
13. Garlic
Like onions, garlic likes air circulation – and keeping it
in the fridge can affect the flavors of nearby foods. The Department of Food
Science and Technology at UC Davis recommends storing garlic in a cool, dry,
dark place in a mesh bag, where it should keep for three to five months.
Vinegar-based hot sauces can live happily in the cupboard
for up to three years; and in fact the refrigerator can affect the heat and
viscosity of the sauce.
15. Condiments
Ketchup and mustard packages advise that they should be
refrigerated after opening, but there’s enough acid in both of them that they
will keep fine in the pantry ... that is if you go through them quickly.
Leaving them out won’t put you at risk for foodborne illness, but they will
only keep for about a month until their flavor and texture start to
deteriorate, so it depends on how frequently you use them.
