FOODS THAT SHOULD NOT BE CHILLED

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Some foods should not be refrigerated because they will lose quality. Food safety will not be compromised, but the character, texture, or taste of the food will be adversely affected by chilling. In fact, in the case of foods like tomatoes or potatoes, they become inedible when stored in the refrigerator.

 1. ONIONS: - Don’t store onions in the refrigerator. Keep them unpeeled in a cool, dry and well-ventilated place out of their plastic bags. If refrigerated they become a bit soft and will surely lose their crispiness and will also make other foods smell like onions. They should be stored away from the potatoes because they rot much faster by the gases emitted by both of them.

2. PUMPKIN: -This requires a well-ventilated location that’s also dry, dark and cool such as the basement.

3. HONEY: - Most of the people put honey in the fridge, but it doesn't require refrigeration to stay good. The Ontario Beekeepers’ Association says that honey should be kept in a tightly closed container at room temperature in a dry place. Refrigerating it can cause crystallization, making it hard to spread. Honey’s acidic pH and sugar content keeps any spoiling microorganisms at bay.

4. POTATOES: - Potatoes should be given a dark, cool and dry space, after removing them from their plastic bags, and keep them unwashed in a well-ventilated cardboard box according to the Potato Growers of Alberta. When potatoes are chilled, the starches in the flesh change to sugars. This will make the potatoes taste sweet when cooked.

5. WHOLE TOMATOES: - Tomatoes do not like cold temperatures. The Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers say that cold air usually changes the cell structure making them mushy and gross.

6. PEANUT BUTTER: - Some fresh, organic brands do require refrigeration. But most ordinary peanut butters should be stored, tightly covered, in the pantry, even after opening. It will just be fine and will be easier to spread.

7. BAKED ITEMS: - Leaving bread in the fridge (unless otherwise if specified in the label), will give it a tougher texture, which isn't always desirable. This is because the starch in the bread changes structure by a process called Retrogradation and it is sure to lose its moisture content drastically. All baked goods like cookies if refrigerated will lose its flavor and texture.

8. SOME SPECIFIC FRUITS: - Fruits like apples, apricots, bananas, kiwi, peaches, plums and mangoes are kept open until they ripen because it retains their nutrients better. Apples are good for about a week if stored at room temperatures but when stored in the fridge they last even longer. If bananas are kept in the fridge their skin turns black but the inside is still the same and fine.

9. OILS: - Oils usually thicken up and get cloudy in the fridge. The exception is nut oils, which can turn rancid very quickly and should be stored chilled.

10. CHOCOLATE: - When chocolate is kept too cold, and is then brought to room temperature, condensation can make sugar condense on the top of the product, forming a rough surface called sugar bloom. Unless directed on the label, store chocolate, tightly wrapped, in a cool cupboard.