5 Food Items You Shouldn’t Put in the Refrigerator

While it’s true that nothing beats the refrigerator when it comes to keeping food fresh, not all food items shouldn’t be placed in there. There are stuff that is best placed somewhere in room temperature.

Next time you buy these items, make sure to keep them AWAY from the refrigerator.

Basil

You would be forgiven in thinking that all greens should be stored in the ref. After all, you need to keep those leaves from wilting, right? Not in the case of tropical plants such as the basil. See, its leaves turn black quickly when stored below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. To keep it fresh, store the leaves in a glass filled with water; make sure to submerge them. Cover the glass container with a zip-top plastic bag to retain its moisture.

Onions

Onions are best kept in hole-punched paper bags and stored in the pantry. The air circulation will keep the onions fresh. Onions emit moisture and gas so don’t store near potatoes if you don’t want the latter to spoil fast.

Potatoes

Speaking of which, potatoes should be stored at 45 degrees Fahrenheit, which is warmer than the normal setting of refrigerators, which is around 35 to 38 degrees. Cold temperatures convert potato starch into sugar, causing them to develop slightly sweet flavor and gritty texture. Like onions, place the potatoes inside paper bags and keep in the pantry. Keep away from direct sunlight as well if you don’t want your potatoes to turn green and taste bitter.

Tomatoes

The pulpy appearance of tomatoes make most people assume that its better placed inside the ref, but the cool temperature actually does more harm than good. The cold changes the chemical pathways of tomatoes and result to dull flavor. Let tomatoes ripe slowly to preserve the juicy taste.

Whole melons

Room temperature actually doubles the level of compounds found in melons. These compounds include beta-carotene, known for promoting healthy eyesight and skin. Cool temperature stunts the growth of antioxidants after harvest. Once melons are sliced, that’s the time you should store them in the ref.