There is only so much room in your refrigerator, and every inch counts. So why, then, do so many Americans put grocery items in the fridge that would be just fine in the pantry?
For one, we need clarification about which items need refrigerated and which don't. Thinking that the following foods belong in the fridge is Fake Chews. Fortunately, your fact-checkers are here to set the record straight. AUTHOR: Sam Mire
Table of Contents
- 1. Onions
- 2. Peanut Butter
- 3. Honey
- 4. Barbecue Sauce
- 5. Potatoes
- 6. Butter for Spreading
- 7. Tomatoes
- 8. Bananas
- 9. Nutella
- 10. Bread
- Top 10 Countries With The Best Food In The World
- 10 American Foods That Foreigners Find Disgusting
- 10 Cheap Poverty Meals That Taste Like a Million Bucks
- Best Instant Pot Recipes
- 10 Foods We Miss From Our Childhood That Need To Return
1. Onions
Red, yellow, it doesn't matter. If it's an onion, you can store it in a cool, dry place other than the refrigerator. If you think that onions need refrigeration, you probably also think The Onion is a legitimate news source. Don't be an onion. Save your refrigerator shelf space for foods that deserve it.
2. Peanut Butter
One George Washington Carver fan noted that natural peanut butter might do better in the fridge. For the most part, though, you can keep the Jif next to that can of Campbell's Chicken Noodle you've had in the pantry for the past five years. You butter not put Skippy in the refrigerator unless you have room to spare.
3. Honey
Would honey bee better in the fridge? No! In fact, unusually chilly refrigerators can turn syrupy honey into a hardened, granular mass that you have to scoop out. That's not honey at all.
So honey, please stop putting the honey in the fridge. Honey belongs on the countertop, where, one enthusiast notes, it will "stay good at room temp for at least a couple thousand years."
4. Barbecue Sauce
Most of us keep opened condiments, including barbecue sauce, in the fridge after opening. However, Sweet Baby Ray's and most of its competitors are chock-full of preservatives, and you'd probably be fine leaving even an opened bottle in the pantry for a month or two.
5. Potatoes
Potatoes do best in cool, dark places. Most homes have plenty of cool, dark places, meaning you don't have to waste precious fridge space on the 'taters.
Once you finally get around to cooking your wedges or tots, you can store the potatoes in the coolest, darkest of places: your belly.
6. Butter for Spreading
Toast Pros know to keep one stick of butter in a tray at room temperature. Butter for spreading is best at room temperature. Your refrigerator is not at room temperature. If you plan to spread it, keep it out.
7. Tomatoes
You say tomato; I say leave the Beefsteaks and Romas in the vegetable basket. Take it from Martha Stewart: Tomatoes taste better and remain firm when stored at room temperature.
It's not like storing tomatoes in the fridge is merely unnecessary. The cold temperature activates an enzyme that causes the tomatoes to become mushy.
"I like my tomatoes mushy." - Nobody, Ever.
8. Bananas
Do not underestimate the power of the banana peel to preserve the inner fruit. When someone asked Mr. Tallyman whether he refrigerated his banana, he said bana-nahhh. Unless the banana turns brown, then throw it in the fridge ASAP, or make banana bread.
9. Nutella
Where do you fall in the great debate over whether to refrigerate Nutella or keep it in the pantry? One cocoa fiend says refrigerated Nutella is "legit," while another person claims that refrigerated Nutella is rock-solid Nutella. For most Nutell-ites, the Hazelnut spread should Hazel-not go in the Subzero.
10. Bread
You can freeze bread to preserve it, and refrigerating it may have the same preservative effect. But have you let a loaf of bread sit in the pantry for a few weeks? You won't find a speck of mold!
Today's Franken-Wheat style bread isn't worth the refrigerator space. Odds are, you'll eat the loaf well before it starts to turn.
This thread inspired this post.
Top 10 Countries With The Best Food In The World
Are you a foodie? Then you can't afford to miss out on these Top 10 Countries with the Best Food in the World! Get ready for a delicious trip!
Click here for Top 10 Countries With The Best Food In The World
10 American Foods That Foreigners Find Disgusting
Let's take a look at 10 American foods that surprise foreigners and have them asking, "Do Americans really eat that?"
Click here for 10 American Foods That Foreigners Find Disgusting
10 Cheap Poverty Meals That Taste Like a Million Bucks
These 10 foods show that you can have great-tasting meals even if you don't have a lot of money. Let's get started!
Click Here for 10 Cheap Poverty Meals That Taste Like a Million Bucks
Best Instant Pot Recipes
Easy and delicious recipes you can make today. Beef, chicken, rice, cakes and even one-pot meals. You can find here more than 1001 recipes that are great for beginners!
Click here for the best Instant Pot Recipes
10 Foods We Miss From Our Childhood That Need To Return
These mouthwatering morsels may have vanished from store shelves, but they certainly haven't been forgotten...
Click here 10 Foods We Miss From Our Childhood That Need To Return