Do YOU know which fruits and vegetables should be chilled and which are better at room temperature?
Think Good Do Good
Tomatoes and berries won't ripen in the fridge, but peeled garlic loses its flavour in the cupboard: Do YOU know which fruits and vegetables should be chilled and which are better at room temperature?
- Nutritionist reveals many fruits and vegetables are better out of the fridge
- Most of them need to be fully ripe before refrigeration
- If not, many don't continue to ripen in the fridge and are less nutritious
- Berries, strawberries, melon and oranges all need to be ripe beforehand
- Bread, potatoes, onions and garlic are better off in a dark pantry
- Refrigeration can prevent oils from going rancid
- However if olive oil is exposed to light antioxidant activity decreases
- Spreads and sauces are different, with the label often having instructions
Putting fresh groceries in the fridge is the quickest and easiest option after a shop, but whether or not those items belong in there is another story.
Surprisingly, most fruits and vegetables are better off out of the fridge at first, with many of them only needing refrigeration once fully ripe.
Daily Mail Australia spoke to leading senior nutritionist from NAQ Nutrition, Aloysa Hourigan, to find out what should be in the fridge and what should remain at room temperature.
To chill or not to chill: Australian nutritionist reveals most fruits and vegetables don't need to be in the fridge
BREAD
Each household stores their loaves of bread differently - some prefer to freeze it, some refrigerate it and others like to keep it out on the bench ready to go.
'Storing bread out of the fridge in a bread bin type of arrangement is fine, however it does go stale quickly and if it's humid weather it might go mouldy,' Ms Hourigan said.
'Putting it in the fridge will dry it out so if you are not going to eat it fast, then the better option is to freeze it and get slices out as you need them.'
For those who do choose to keep it in the fridge, multi grain bread is the best choice as it doesn't dry out as easily as white or wholemeal bread does.
Out of the fridge or in the freezer: Bread goes dry in the fridge, but multi grain dries out less than white does
TOMATOES
Tomatoes are commonly refrigerated after purchase, but there is a reason they are kept at room temperature at the supermarket.
'In terms of becoming ripe enough to eat, tomatoes do better when they are out of the fridge,' Ms Hourigan said.
'Once they reach their ripeness they can go in the fridge otherwise they start to spoil...but tomatoes won't ripen in the fridge by themselves.'
Let them ripen! Tomatoes should be kept out of the fridge until fully ripe, they don't ripen in the fridge
ORANGES
'To get the maximum out of an orange it needs to be ready to eat before it is placed in the fridge as the levels of antioxidants and vitamins increase as oranges ripen,' Ms Hourigan said.
'That said, if you leave them out of the fridge for too long they will gradually lose their Vitamin C content over time and the fridge will keep those levels higher for longer.'
Keep them out: Orange antioxidants increase as they ripen, so they should be kept out for as long as possible
POTATOES
Those storing their potatoes right, are keeping them far away from the fridge.
'Potatoes should never be stored in the fridge, the best way to store them, as well as onions, is in a cool dark place like the bottom of the pantry,' Ms Hourigan said.
'If they are in the light they go green on the skin and spoil and if they are in the fridge they become moist which is not ideal.'
Potatoes: These should be kept in a dark, cool place as light spoils them and refrigeration moistens them
BERRIES
Punnets of berries are often found in refrigerator drawers, but it turns out they shouldn't be placed in there straight away.
'Berries - especially strawberries - ripen up much better out of the fridge, however they will spoil fairly quickly so you need to pick the perfect time,' Ms Hourigan said.
'With strawberries you can smell whether they are sweet, nice and ready to be refrigerated...if you can't smell a strawberry it's not a good one.'
Berries: These ripen up much better out of the fridge and should only be in there once ready to eat
Invention pumps pure oxygen around a fridge killing bacteria
HONEY
'Honey is better in the cupboard than in the fridge as it crystallises...it doesn't go off in the cupboard,' Ms Hourigan said.
'With that said, it doesn't go off in the fridge either and many people choose to put it in there due to problems with ants.'
Better off in the cupboard: While many choose to store honey in the fridge, it's smoother if kept in the pantry
GARLIC
Garlic is in the same category as onions and potatoes in that it is better off in a cool dark place...but only until it is peeled.
'If they are whole bulbs they can just sit in a dish or container near where food is prepared,' Ms Hourigan said.
'Once you've peeled it however, it is better off in the fridge as it won't retain it's flavour otherwise.'
Just like potatoes: Garlic should be kept in a cool dark place, but once peeled, should go in the fridge
OILS
'It's not common to put oils in the fridge but they go rancid and putting them in the fridge helps to increase shelf life,' Ms Hourigan said.
'When it comes to olive oil however, it's best stored in a dark place in the pantry as light decreases the antioxidant activity in it.'
Best of both worlds: Some oils are better off in the fridge but olive oil should be kept in a dark place
WATERMELON
While cold watermelon is a favourite in summer, it doesn't need to go into the fridge until it's cut.
'You can't have melon sitting out of the fridge once it's cut (even if it's wrapped in plastic) as once you have that open surface you are at risk of contamination and fermentation which happens at room temperature,' Ms Hourigan said.
'When a melon is whole it doesn't need to be in the fridge.'
Until cut, keep them out! Watermelon ferments once cut open, so as soon as it is, it should go in the fridge
Tips for getting more fruit and vegetables into your diet
SPREADS
'It's very important to check the label for refrigeration instructions when it comes to these,' Ms Hourigan said.
'If it's high in salt like Vegemite and peanut butter, refrigeration isn't necessary.'
'With things like jams, the high sugar content means you don't have to store it in the fridge but it's wise to as they are prone to mould development over time.'
Read the label: Most spreads have a label with instructions, but in general highly salted spreads can stay out of the fridge where as things like jams are better off in the fridge as they are prone to mould development
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