25 things you don't actually need to keep in the fridge

25 things you don't actually need to keep in the fridge

There is probably a bunch of things in your fridge that doesn't need to be there. Removing these items from your fridge can free up space and improve the taste and quality of items that should be stored at room temperature. Take a look at this list and then go rummage through your fridge.

Hot sauce stays fresh up to 3 years without refrigeration, even after opening it.

Potatoes should be stored in paper bags in cool, dry pantries. Putting them in the fridge can make them taste funny and rot faster.

Onions do best in dry, ventilated areas. Keep them away from potatoes, though. These tubers can make onions rot faster.

Like onions, garlic is just fine in a dry, ventilated area of the pantry.

Basil absorbs fridge smells, so it is best to keep your fresh basil in a cup or vase of water on the counter much like fresh cut flowers. You can also do this with any other fresh herbs.

These are 5 examples, to see the rest follow the link.

It's true, we do put way to many things in the fridge that we think give them more longevity when in fact the moisture speeds up the decaying process.

The only time I put vegetables of any kind in the fridge is when they have been cut into or cooked. When I do cut them, I only cut the portion I need and then when I do store them, they get wrapped in paper towels and placed in a plastic bag or container.

Want to keep your lettuce or spinach from expiring or getting wilted, wrap them in paper towels to absorb moisture.

Remember, anything you put into your fridge that is not in a container will absorb the scents from each other, especially if they are fruits or vegetables that have been cut, but even uncut they can transfer.

Completely off topic but just a reminder for storing uncooked meat, even if they are wrapped in plastic from the store, they should never be on the top shelves. They should always be double or even triple wrapped in plastic or put into sealed containers on the very bottom shelve away from any food that is already cooked. Ideally, they should be kept completely separate in a drawer of their own.

Children and Seniors are the most susceptible to food born illnesses because their immune systems are compromised by age, so if you have either in your household this is all the more reason to adhere to strict protocols when dealing with food safety, food handling and food storage issues.

Not sure if this is on topic or not, But my Father used to keep a block of butter out on the counter so it would stay soft. Maby he just used it too often for it to go bad, But when I tried a few weeks ago the thing went rancid after about 2 weeks. It was an awful experience.

Oh and on that day i learned rancid butter tastes the same as none rancid butter, it just smells *realllllllllllly* bad. :

Maybe he was a wizard?

originally posted by: Tjoran
Not sure if this is on topic or not, But my Father used to keep a block of butter out on the counter so it would stay soft. Maby he just used it too often for it to go bad, But when I tried a few weeks ago the thing went rancid after about 2 weeks. It was an awful experience.

Oh and on that day i learned rancid butter tastes the same as none rancid butter, it just smells *realllllllllllly* bad. :

Look up the french butter keeper or bell

The rate of butter going rancid can be much reduced by always covering butter left out to soften. You want as little air in contact with the butter as possible. One of the classic ways of preserving butter at room temperature is the French butter keeper. It keeps the butter in a small pot immersed in cold water.

www.thekitchn.com...

a reply to: searcherfortruth

storing uncooked meat

Animals appreciate if you just leave it where it belongs

a reply to: Char-Lee

Thanks, I'll have to check this thing out. Atm i just keep it in the fridge and if i ever need to spread it on bread or a bagel or something I microwave it until it's not hard as a rock. I have been getting pretty good at making sure it doesn't instantly turn into a puddle

a reply to: Tjoran

I always have butter on the counter, in a covered dish. Never had a problem.

ETA: I'm not a wizard.

You have to keep wine in the fridge though, once it's uncorked.

I didn't know that.

originally posted by: MiddleInitial
a reply to: Tjoran

I always have butter on the counter, in a covered dish. Never had a problem.

ETA: I'm not a wizard.

I was using a relay cheap dollar store container, I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't even air tight. Probably what my issue was!

Also, this is the internet, As if im going to believe you aren't a wizard just because you said you aren't, pfft.

originally posted by: Tjoran
a reply to: Char-Lee

Thanks, I'll have to check this thing out. Atm i just keep it in the fridge and if i ever need to spread it on bread or a bagel or something I microwave it until it's not hard as a rock. I have been getting pretty good at making sure it doesn't instantly turn into a puddle

It's cold enough where I live that the butter seems to always be hard. So I do the microwave thing. I buy the salted butter, it's supposed to do better outside of the fridge - but then my dog ate it one day 😕 And that's not healthy for him, so it's back in thefridge again.

I find I like the flavours of tomatoes and bell peppers better if they're stored in the fridge, and apples do last a long time in the fridge.

Lettuce in the fridge just needs a loose, but sealed plastic bag and it lasts a long time that way too. So I do find I like the fridge more for certain things.

Plus, it hides things the dogs will eat....

originally posted by: snowspirit
I find I like the flavours of tomatoes and bell peppers better if they're stored in the fridge, and apples do last a long time in the fridge.

Lettuce in the fridge just needs a loose, but sealed plastic bag and it lasts a long time that way too. So I do find I like the fridge more for certain things.

Plus, it hides things the dogs will eat....

I prefer to keep my tomatoes on the counter until they turn red, than ill put the ripe ones into the fridge to stay cool, fresh and crisp. (Homegrown obviously )

Butter....always keep a pound out on the counter. I rarely use cold butter for anything, just because i like slapping softened butter into the skillet and watching it splat.

I keep bacon grease in a crock by the stove.

green veggies and tomatoes go in the crisper. aromatics are hung in a basket. Fruits are hung in a different basket (fruits give off a ton of ethylene, with apples needing to be stored completely separate). Fresh peppers are stored in the crisper, too. Dried chiles....stuck in the pantry.

Meat that is going to be cooked is usually left on the counter from noon until i cook it at dinner (room temp beef and pork come out much more tender).

Open white wine...into the fridge. Open red wine....left in the pantry (and both are thrown away 7 days later, due to loss of flavor)

Didn't see it on the list, but eggs (still in the shell) are another one. Just found that out recently.

soulwaxer

I'll add Margarine, its not real butter, and bugs dont care for it!

Leaving Onions out of the fridge absorbs flu germs as told to me by a farmer.

Leaving them in the fridge would no doubt absorb from other foods as well much like baking soda does.

originally posted by: soulwaxer
Didn't see it on the list, but eggs (still in the shell) are another one. Just found that out recently.

soulwaxer

There is a very interesting story behind that. It has to do with EU and NA standards for contamination. It's more or less irreverent at this point in history though.

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

Do you strain the bacon grease first? If so, with what, a cheese cloth?

a reply to: Tjoran

no.

Any solids fall to the bottom while its hot, leaving the clear on top. On the weekends I clean it out, then refill it with breakfast. That gets used the rest of the week (well, a couple of times).

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

Thanks! I have always been scared to do it, Like im fighting an entire life of conditioning not too. In the past, when ever i had a recipe that required some bacon grease, I would just use it as an excuse to make a butt load of bacon and pig out on it.

a reply to: Char-Lee

We are carnivorous, unless you are from Vega.

a reply to: Encryptor

What about the onions growing in the field? The farmer is wrong unless they fall off the truck and land in the cow pasture.