Health & WellnessSuper Foods

10 List of Foods that Should not be Refrigerated

Are you Looking for foods that should not be refrigerated? Storing cooked and raw food was never easy before the refrigerator became an integral part of every household. Now we don’t have to think about storage if we purchase a bagful of raw foodstuff or had some leftover food after a party at home because the fridge is there to make a place for every small and big foodstuff.

We think that everything will remain as fresh as they were, but to our surprise, after some days, we come to notice that some foodstuff are already on the way to decay and lost the freshness. Why does this happen? 

The simple reason is the cold temperature inside the fridge is not suitable to keep all foodstuffs fresh. Yes, a lot of confusion arises about what foods that should not be refrigerated. Therefore to solve your enquiries we are here to give you a clear idea about the foods you must not store in the fridge. Just go through the article below.

The way a Refrigerator works

The metal box is cool enough to stop the food from decomposing fast. Foodstuff decomposes in two ways when we keep them outside.

By Bacteria– Bacterial grows on the food in the open air. It cannot be noticed from outside, and the tiny microbes grow slowly eat the food.

Evaporation– Green vegetables, dairy products, non-veg items like fish, meat etc., contains natural water. In the open air, the water evaporated, and thus the foodstuffs lost their freshness and taste.

Refrigerator slows down the bacterial growth as the low temperature inside the fridge does not help the microbes grow fast, and in this way, it slows down the decomposing process. On the other hand, the cold air inside the fridge slows down the water evaporation and helps to keep the freshness.

10 Foods that should not be Refrigerated

List of foods that should not be Refrigerated-

1. Fruits

Fruits are common in every household, but it’s essential to know how and where to keep them. Not all fruits need to be refrigerated. Tropical fruits like mangoes, banana, pineapple, watermelon, papaya are grown in hot and humid temperature. Due to this reason, they are susceptible to the cold temperature inside the refrigerator. Let us explain why these foods that should not be refrigerated-

a). Mango

Unripe mango should never be refrigerated unless it becomes ripe. If we keep it at room temperature, it will turn yellow and soft. Only we can put it in the fridge after cutting the ripe mango into cubes or slice in an airtight container.

b). Watermelon

Fruits like watermelon loss their nutritional value if stored at cold temperature. Watermelon lost its antioxidants such as lycopene and beta-carotene due to the chilling effect. New studies show that the shelf life of watermelon outside the fridge at 50-55 degree is more or less three weeks, whereas it starts to lose its freshness in just less than a week when stored at 35 – 40-degree temperature in the fridge.

c). Banana

The low temperature causes the banana tissues to become weak and leaks out the cell’s digestive enzymes. Due to this reason, we find the banana skin trued black when kept in the fridge.

d). Papaya 

It’s good to store papaya on the counter at room temperature. After it becomes ripe, we can store them in the fridge, but not for too long as keeping it for too long in cold temperature will cause papaya to lose its texture and taste.      

2. Onions

Onion is a common food ingredient and used in almost every dishes. So it is necessary to keep onion in a dry and airy place so it can last longer.

We must not keep onion in the fridge; the chill temperature would cause the onion to become more pulpy and soft. It needs good air circulated open place so that they remain moisture free and get dry.

3. Honey

Honey is high sugar enriched food. It is also antifungal and antibacterial. Sugar in honey binds the water balance in it. Honey should not be kept n the fridge as the low temperature will cause the honey to form crystals and make it hard. Honey must be kept in an airtight glass jar, and it lasts longer. 

You may find this interesting:  How to Check If Honey is Pure or Fake, Use This Simple Trick!

4. Potatoes

Potatoes contain a high amount of starch which may turn into sugar if we store them in the refrigerator. This will ruin the potato texture very fast and make it tasteless.

The most alarming fact about keeping potatoes in the fridge is that the sugar may combine with the amino acid in potato to produce a chemical called acrylamide when baked or fried or cooked at a high temperature. So the best places to store potatoes are a dry and open place or paper bags. 

Also Read: How to Use Onion and Potato to Grow Long Thicken Hair faster

5. Coffee

There is a conception about coffee that its shelf life increases when kept in the fridge at a low temperature. But it’s wrong. Coffee in any form, bean or grounded, must not be stored in the refrigerator, as it absorbs the aroma of other foods that lost their original flavour.

The sudden temperature drop makes the coffee beans de-moisturized, and they lost their freshness. The best place to store coffee beans is a dark and dry place.

6. Aromatic Herbs

If you love cooking, you must know the aromatic herbs that give food a different taste and flavour. Basil, cilantro, coriander, thyme, and mint are some well-known aromatic herbs used in cooking for seasoning purposes. We often put them in fridge plastic bags, which is the wrong way to keep them fresh. 

The low temperature of the fridge makes them getting limp, and you will find soggy leaves which you have to throw away in the dustbin. Too much moisture destroys the aroma and freshness of these herbs.

Moreover, the green herbs change their colour into brown and become pale, which are unworthy of use anymore. The best place for these herbs is on the counter.

Put the root portion of the herbs in a glass of fresh water in the open air like flowers; you will find it fresh and green for a few days.

7. Tomatoes

The moisture and the cold air inside the refrigerator are enough to shorten the shelf life of tomatoes. So the fridge is not the right places for the delicious red tomatoes to be used in different dishes. Also, the chill air delays the ripping process and makes them decompose fast.

Scientific studies show that low temperature could change the chemical structure of tomato and damage the quantity of the volatile compound. As a result, tomato lost their flavour and freshness.

The best place for tomato is out on the counter in a dry place. The low temperature also causes the tomatoes to turn out mealy.

8. Garlic

Storing garlic in the refrigerator will reduce its shelf life, and it will spoil quickly. The low temperature is enough to ruin the nutty flavour, and thus they can absorb the other odours in the fridge.

So it is better to keep them in an airtight container or the open air. Keeping garlic in the refrigerator may make it sprout and turn hard.

Don’t miss: Benefits of Eating Raw Garlic in Empty Stomach Everyday

9. Bread and Cake

If you always throw bread and cake directly from bag to fridge, immediately stop doing that because the refrigerator is not the right place to store bread and cake.

The low temperature turns these foods dry. Also, they lost their softness and taste. So when will going to make sandwiches or other dishes it would not sound so much tasty. The cakes also turn hard, and the cream lost its flavour

10. Ketchup and Soya Sauce

Ketchup and soya sauce are food products with preservatives added to them. So they are shelf-stable. Moreover, ketchup is naturally acidic by nature. So it doesn’t require keeping at a low temperature. The right place for ketchup is the kitchen cabinet.

It will flow easily if kept outside. In the fridge, it will become condensed and thick. Soya sauce also stays fine at room temperature. The low temperature will make it flavourless. Also, the high amount of salt in the soya sauce works as a preservative. So a cool place on the counter is best for it.    

So friends, from now you can store the right food at their places so that the nutritional value remains the same. You should keep in mind that despite the substantial practice of fridge in the modern kitchen, low temperature is not suitable for every food items. So now you are aware of the foods that should not be refrigerated.

Dr Maria

MD. Board Certified physician. Fellowship In Family Medicine UK. 8 years of medical experience in Lifestyle-related health disorders. Graduated from AIIMS – All India Institute Of Medical Science, INDIA

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