[Lifestyle] Is it true that you should not store these common perishable food items, like tomato and bread, in refrigerator?

[CrimeBOSS]

Though the honey kept in the refrigerator is well preserved as honey exposed to heat via sunlight or other means causes its darkening and flavour changes, honey’s storage in the fridge makes a semi-solid mass and disrupts its texture, said registered dietitian Garima Goyal

 

 

Refrigerator is a boon for the modern human. But there seems to be the good-old yardstick — of what and what not to b be kept in the refrigerator — that many of us have forgotten in the rut of daily life. As such, we tend to keep even the most common things like bread in the refrigerator. MasterChef Pankaj Bhadouria has listed a few items that should not be kept in the fridge, including tomatoes and melons, and raised quite a few eyebrows.

 

Take a look.

 

https://www.instagram.com/masterchefpankajbhadouria/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=a9028b57-5f09-4876-b60b-c381d29d952a

 

Here’s what she mentioned and why. Bread It turns stale faster Tomato Keeping them in the fridge spoils their taste and texture Honey It will form a semi-solid layer Melons Their antioxidants remain intact outside the refrigerator. Colour, texture, and flavour get spoilt in the fridge Potatoes

 

Starch in potatoes tends to convert into sugar in cold temperatures which will make them turn sweet, she said. One user took to the comments section to remark, “My bread and tomatoes remain perfect in fridge n rotten without it”, while another shared, “Cold temperatures slow down bacteria growth, simple rule…”

 

 

So, to understand whether such food items should be kept in the refrigerator or not, we decided to ask our experts. The way you store perishable food items really matters and impacts the texture and taste of foods, said registered dietitian Garima Goyal.

 

Bread – At cool temperatures, the starch molecules present in the bread recrystallise faster, lose their moisture, and becomes dry. One thing to note here is that although the bread gets harder, there is no effect on its nutrient quotient on storing in the refrigerator, said Goyal, adding that refrigeration is not needed. “Rather than storing the bread in the fridge, keep it in an airtight plastic bag at room temperature,” said Goyal. For storing at room temperature, there should be an ambient temperature of 20 degrees Celsius and should be kept in a cool and dry place, away from direct sunlight.

 

Honey – Always keep your container of honey on the kitchen shelf, rather than storing it in the refrigerator. “Though the honey kept in the refrigerator is well preserved as honey exposed to heat via sunlight or other means causes its darkening and flavour changes, honey’s storage in the fridge makes a semi-solid mass and disrupts its texture. Keeping honey in the fridge increases the speed of its crystallisation, turning the honey from its usual liquid form to a thick dough-like sludge, said Goyal.

 

According to Goyal, it is best to avoid metal containers to store honey as its slightly acidic pH might rust the metal container. “Honey is a naturally safe liquid as the high amounts of sugar present in it and its acidic pH make it have an indefinitely long shelf life and anti-bacterial properties. But if still you refrigerated it and want to restore its syrupy consistency, you can do so by immersing the jar of honey in hot water,” Goyal shared.

 

amely watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew is to keep them at room temperature until you have cut them. “When melons are bought, clean their surface with water to remove any excess dirt and then keep it outside on the kitchen shelf. This allows them to even ripen because melons are such a fruit that continue to ripen even after being harvested. While ripening, the starches in the fruit get converted into sugars, making it more sweeter and flavourful. Also, room-stored melons have their antioxidants intact too,” described Goyal.

 

 

Even its flavour, texture, and overall quality are preserved in this way, added Goyal. The texture of melons spoils on its refrigeration because the cell structure of the fruit alters when it is stored in cold temperatures, forming a mushy and grainy texture. Even fruit’s aroma and taste are preserved when kept at room temperature as refrigerated melons have a “dull flavour as cold temperatures affect the flavour-enhancing volatile compounds of the fruit”. “Once cut, then store them in the fridge and try to consume them within 3-4 days. Also while storing the melon, don’t remove its seeds as they aid in increasing its shelf life and if the melon is cut into slices, then cover it with a plastic wrap or keep it in an air-tight bag,” said Goyal.

 

Potatoes – Dr Santosh Pandey, naturopath and acupuncturist, Rejua Energy Center, Mumbai, concurred and said that potatoes in the refrigerator can change the potato’s starch into sugar and taste sweet once cooked, so the best way is to store it in a normal and dry place covered with paper. The ideal way to store potatoes is in a cool and dark room with lots of ventilation supply. They stay fresh and firm if stored in this way and also do not turn green, said Goyal. “Greening of potatoes happens when chlorophyll builds up under the peel, on exposure to sunlight, and is linked with the production of high amounts of a toxin called solanine, a bitter and toxic alkaloid that may make you sick. Raw potatoes are loaded with starches which convert into reducing sugar when kept in cold temperatures, making potatoes sweeter and darker on cooking, also known as ‘cold-induced sweetening’. Reducing sugars can form carcinogenic substances, known as acrylamides when fried or exposed to very high cooking temperatures, so it’s best to keep levels low,” said Goyal.

 

 

So for making potatoes’ shelf life up to two months, store them in a cool and dark place that is warmer than the fridge but colder than your average kitchen temperature. “The ambient temperature for this is 6-10 degrees Celsius, which delays the formation of potato sprouts on the skin, its first sign of spoilage. If you keep the potatoes on the kitchen shelf at room temperature, they may last only up to two weeks. If you have already peeled the potatoes, then keep these raw and peeled potatoes in a bowl of cold water in the refrigerator for 24 hours,” said Goyal.

 

Tomatoes – According to Dr Pandey, tomatoes are most flavourful when stored at room temperature. “If you do store them in the fridge, it’s best to let them come to room temperature before using so that it carries flavour in it,” said Dr Pandey. When tomatoes are stored in the refrigerator, they lose their flavour and firmness, contended Goyal.  “The ideal temperature needed for ripening of tomatoes is 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. But anything at a temperature lower than 55 degrees Fahrenheit will cause the tomatoes to lose their aroma causing volatile compounds to give it its flavour and fragrance,” Goyal said, sharing that this especially holds true for unripe green-coloured tomatoes, which experience ‘chilling injury’ such as pitting, mealiness, uneven ripening, and decay. “To enjoy the flavours of tomato to the fullest, store it for a lesser time period and for this avoid buying tomatoes in bulk,” Goyal advised.

 

Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/food-wine/tomato-bread-potato-honey-melons-not-refrigerator-8646502/