Humans are preserving food with ice and snow for 3,000 years at least, but the first commercial refrigerator, which was produced around 20th Century, was game-changer. The home refrigeration systems made this possible for the first time in the history to keep the perishable foods fresh. But you know that an advance comes with the dark side. In the case of the refrigerators, the downside is many people started storing everything in their fridge, irrespective of whether this has to be or not. Whereas some of the foods absolutely need refrigeration, some don’t, and some must be left at the room temperature.
Here is the list of some foods that will do better in case you skip fridge:
Potatoes and sweet potatoes: The potatoes have to be kept in the cool and dark place, so fridge must be ideal, right? Absolutely wrong. The refrigerator is too cold. The low temperatures will wreak havoc on the potatoes’ natural starches and affect both the texture and the flavour. Instead, you can store them in the paper bag.
Tomatoes: Never under any of the circumstances, store your tomatoes in the refrigerator. The tomatoes start to lose the flavour and texture while putting in a fridge, turning mushy, mealy, as well as flavourless. You can leave them on your counter.
Peaches, cherries and plums: The stone fruits must not at all be refrigerated. You can store this out on the counter or enjoy them when they are ripe.
Apples and Pears: You may refrigerate all these fruits, however, you do not have to. Cold air inside the refrigerator generally tends to break the crisp texture. You can leave them out your counter. But suppose you prefer fruit cold, then you can refrigerate it.
Berries: The fresh berries are not meant to last for long. You can leave them out or enjoy them over some days.
Oranges, limes, lemons: You can store citrus fruits at the counter and keep close tabs on them, although, as a mouldy fruit may spread.
Bananas: Refrigerating your bananas will turn the peels prematurely brown as well as change the texture. You can store them on your counter or peel and freeze for the banana bread when they get overripe.
Melons: You can store the whole melons on the counter. The refrigerator may turn the flesh mealy. When cut, leftovers are stored in the fridge.
Avocados: You can store avocados on the counter. Suppose they are soft, then you may get some extra days just by putting this in the fridge, but you will pay for this in flavour. It is good to enjoy them immediately.
Onions, garlic: While storing the pungent alliums in refrigerator won’t just impact the smell of other foods, but also will soften them with time. You can store them in the paper bag.
Conclusion
The refrigerator isn’t just too cool things, but it is also the moist one. Celery and carrots love that, however, it might cause other foods go bad sooner.