10 Food Storage Guidelines You Didn’t Know
To fridge or not to fridge? Discover what foods you should take out of your refrigerator and what unexpected items you should store there now.
From Reader's Digest Magazine (May 2013)
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Maple Syrup:
Keep it cold or better at room temp?
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Keep It Cold: Maple Syrup
The real stuff has no preservatives and can become moldy after opening if it’s not chilled.
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Ripe Bananas:
Keep 'em cold or better at room temp?
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Keep It Cold: Ripe Bananas
They’ll stay at their perfect peak for another week if
you toss them in the refrigerator—but wait until they’re ripe!
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Potatoes:
Keep 'em cold or better at room temp?
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Better at Room Temp: Potatoes
Moisture makes spuds go blah; store in the pantry for three weeks.
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Cut Flowers:
Keep 'em cold or better at room temp?
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Keep It Cold: Cut Flowers
Put blooms, vase and all, in the fridge overnight, and they will last longer; just remove any apples, which release wilt-inducing ethylene gas.
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Natural Peanut Butter
Keep it cold or better at room temp?
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Keep It Cold: Natural Peanut Butter
It goes rancid quickly when stored at warm temperatures.
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Hot Sauce
Keep it cold or better at room temp?
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Better at Room Temp: Hot Sauce
Acidic, vinegar-based foods like this fiery condiment are fine at room temperature.
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Candles:
Keep 'em cold or better at room temp?
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Keep It Cold: Candles
Cold wax burns longer and more cleanly.
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Bread:
Keep it cold or better at room temp?
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Better at Room Temp: Bread
Nothing makes loaves go stale faster than a stint in the refrigerator. Freeze what you won’t eat within a few days.
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Cake:
Keep 'em cold or better at room temp?
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Better at Room Temp: Cake
Chilled air dries it out, no matter how well wrapped it is; unless frosting is literally melting off, store cake on the counter!
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Tomatoes:
Keep 'em cold or better at room temp?
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Better at Room Temp: Tomatoes
Avoid the fridge at all costs: Tomatoes will turn mushy and bland within there.
Sources: Real Simple, Eating Well, snopes.com, losethebackpain.com, farmersalmanac.com, huffingtonpost.com
