Butter? Velveeta? Apples? It turns out that the "to-fridge-or-not-to-fridge"
question is more complicated than it might seem at a glance. If your
kitchen is the scene of debate, don't worry: we've got you covered.
There is no denying that plump grapes — whether you prefer red
or green — are the perfect on-the-go snack. No matter how you enjoy them,
you'll want your grapes to last as long as possible.
And to do that? Keep them in the refrigerator. If you store them at room temperature,
this will cause the grapes to spoil within just a few days of when you purchased them.
Not to mention, they will likely become mushy fast, which isn't necessarily the
most appetizing thing. Storing them under cold conditions ensures that they stay firm
and fresh. Another great word of advice: Don't transfer them out of the bag, or box, you bought
them in. There's a reason for that slotted plastic: It gives the grapes room to breathe.
"Well aren't you a tiny plum."
It is easy to assume that cured meat is shelf-stable forever since it is typically
stored unrefrigerated at the grocery store. But here's why you should never store cured
meats in your pantry: It will absolutely cause the meat to lose much-needed moisture.
In addition, once you've opened the meat packages, the meat quality will slowly
start to worsen if not correctly stored, from the texture to the flavor and everything in between.
Carnivore Club reports that the best way to go about preserving the meat is
to keep it in the refrigerator, but remember to securely wrap it first.
If you are a sauerkraut fan, you probably have some stocked
up at all times. Whether you make it yourself or buy store-bought sauerkraut,
it's good to be aware of how to keep it fresher. The truth is that no matter how
the sauerkraut is made, it is best to keep it in your fridge after opening it.
This, says Cleveland Kitchen, is because room temperature air will
cause the sauerkraut to dry out and lose those beneficial probiotics.
The good news is that storing it in a cold environment will lengthen the amount of time
it is suitable for. When comparing the differences in storage, keeping it in the pantry will only
give you a month to use it up, whereas keeping it in the refrigerator gives you up to six months.
When making desserts or fancy coffees, you might wonder how long whipped cream can be left out at
room temperature. Although many people make whipped cream frosting for cakes and pies,
the truth is that this product will be unsafe to eat when not stored in the refrigerator. It
is best to keep your whipped cream dessert in the fridge until just before serving. Since it
is a dairy product, it only takes a couple of hours of sitting out for it to become inedible.
But how about non-dairy whipped cream? Unfortunately, you must keep the non-dairy
kind chilled as well — after all, nobody wants to eat soupy cream that is supposed to be light
and fluffy. The King Arthur Baking Company has some good news: Even homemade whipped
cream will hold its shape for up to a day if stored in the fridge. Seconds, anyone?
Making infused olive oil at home can undoubtedly add depth to the food
you're making. But, whether you infuse the oil with different herbs or garlic,
it is essential to know how to store it safely. According to Chef Anne Burrell, infused olive
oil is one of the items you shouldn't store in your pantry or on your kitchen counter.
Why? Because room temperature oil is a perfect
breeding ground for bacteria to grow to unsafe numbers.
Even if you had rinsed and dried your fresh herbs beforehand, they likely still have
small amounts of bacteria. The University of Maine notes that storing infused olive oil
at room temperature could be so dangerous that it could cause botulism poisoning.
Keeping it in the refrigerator will put the brakes on the bacteria growth. After all, as
the old saying goes, it's better to be safe than sorry — and avoid food poisoning at all costs.
There is something so appealing about leaving butter out at room temperature.
It's much easier to spread, baking with softened butter is even easier… so,
is there a shortcut to be had here? Do you really have to refrigerate butter?
When it comes to unsalted butter, the answer is always yes. Unfortunately,
leaving this product at room temperature will inevitably cause it to sour quickly.
As reported by Healthline, this isn't necessarily because of bacteria growth
but because the butter has so much fat, which does better under refrigeration. In addition,
keeping the butter cool will keep the flavor rich and creamy rather than rancid.
It is easy to assume that Kraft products are all shelf-stable. After all,
the company did market its products that way for the longest time. That brings us
to the tried-and true favorite that is Velveeta.
Velveeta can indeed stay at room temperature before being opened, but once you have broken
the package seal, the company recommends that you store the cheese product under refrigeration.
Even though it is a pasteurized product, that doesn't mean it's invulnerable to spoilage.
Therefore, not refrigerating it will cause it to change its texture and possibly lead to an
unpleasant taste or odor. The good news is that it can last over six months when stored correctly.
Do you know what happens to brownies when they're not refrigerated? Don't worry;
they are safe to eat when covered and stored on the counter. However,
this storage method might noticeably dry them out, especially if you've already cut
the brownies. After all the time spent making the silky batter and baking them to perfection,
it would be a shame to have them dry out in just a day or two.
Luckily, there is a great way to combat this issue so that your brownies remain fudgy and
moist. Placing them in a container and storing them in the refrigerator
is one of the absolute best ways to keep brownies fresh. You could even go a step
further and cover them in plastic wrap before putting them in the container.
Simple, right? They'll last for up to a week, unless they're eaten first.
"Oh! We should be having brownies!"
Although some fruits and veggies stay fresher at room temperature,
cauliflower is a vegetable that doesn't. In fact, one of the absolute best ways to store
cauliflower is by placing it in a plastic bag, or a container that you can seal,
within the refrigerator. Cauliflower can last a few days when sitting out on the counter,
but it runs the risk of becoming rotten and shortening its life span by more than half.
Discoloration, softened texture, and lousy odors are all clear indicators
of how to tell if cauliflower has gone bad. Additionally,
mold is also another possibility that you can easily avoid.
Therefore, unless you plan to use the cauliflower within a few days, the best
course of action is to cover it adequately and ensure it stays cold. Ultimately, it makes more
sense to keep the cauliflower chilled so that it remains crisp until you are ready to use it.
Let's start by saying that processed peanut butter can stay in the pantry even after being opened.
"Babe? Where's your Kraft peanut butter?"
"What is Kraft peanut butter?"
However, you might want to think twice about storing your natural peanut butter in the same
place. When determining which foods should and shouldn't be refrigerated, natural peanut
butter is certainly one that will benefit from being stored in a chilled environment. Storing
this unprocessed product at room temperature will cause it to go sour, which nobody wants.
These effects can be apparent after just a couple of weeks because this
type of peanut butter has a high content of natural oils that need to stay cold.
Your best bet is to store the natural peanut butter in your
refrigerator immediately after you open it.
Apples are fruits that keep ripening even after they've been picked from a tree. The truth is
that storing them at room temperature will aid the ripening process further,
and that's not necessarily a good thing: Before you know it, the shiny and crisp
apples can soon turn to mush, or brown spots can start making an appearance.
"I never picked apples before, but now I have! I had fun, I think."
The good news is that you can do certain things to keep the
ripening process at bay so that all of your apples can last much longer.
The trick to keeping apples fresh longer is to store them in the refrigerator,
specifically away from other produce if possible. Additionally,
moisture can be an apple's saving grace when it comes to storage, so finding a
way to add moisture to their environment can do wonders; draping damp linen over
the apples will do. It's worth it to never have to worry about biting into a mushy apple again!
It can be tricky to determine which fruits need to be refrigerated and which don't.
Although keeping limes on the counter is safe, it isn't the best route of action.
When stored at room temperature, limes will dry out within just a few days. On the other hand,
when they are correctly stored, they can stay fresh for up to a few months.
These lengths of time are drastically different, so learning the absolute best ways to store limes
is crucial. First, placing them in the refrigerator is the primary practice to
extend their freshness. Another fantastic trick you can try is to grab a container,
put the limes inside, then cover the limes with water. Keep this container with the
limes immersed inside your fridge, and it'll lengthen its life span considerably.
The boiling process kills all of the bacteria in eggs, so hard-boiled eggs
don't need to be refrigerated, right? Not necessarily. Hard-boiled eggs
are just as vulnerable to spoilage as scrambled eggs or poached, if not more.
Although the bacteria on the shell dies during the boiling process,
Healthline says that the protective coating on the outside is also cooked off. This makes
it easy for bacteria to adhere to the egg and even creep through the surface.
So, what happens if you don't refrigerate hard-boiled eggs? The short answer is that
room temperature air gives bacteria room to grow to unsafe amounts. On the other hand,
storing cooked eggs in the refrigerator is a smart move that can save you from foodborne illness.
The surprising truth is that maple syrup is not as shelf-stable as one might assume. Although
leaving maple syrup at room temperature for a few days likely won't cause any harm, extended
periods of keeping it in the pantry will pose a risk. Maple Farmers reported that it's possible
this would cause a change in the flavor of the syrup, weakening its sweet and pleasant taste.
Additionally, the main concern is that mold could grow inside the container. Fortunately,
the best solution is also the easiest: Store maple syrup in the refrigerator. It is also crucial to
note that swapping out a plastic container to a glass one will help it stay fresher longer.
From using it in meatloaf to taking advantage of its unique flavor for cocktails, Worcestershire
sauce is a multifaceted ingredient that is a cooking staple. Although it might be easy
to conclude that this sauce is shelf-stable, the test of time and temperature would say otherwise.
If you only use this product every now and then,
storing it in the refrigerator is the best approach to take.
So, what happens if you don't refrigerate Worcestershire sauce? In simple terms,
it will only last so many months. After a while, its texture and flavor can start to
deteriorate. Storing it in a cool place such as the refrigerator ensures that
this sauce remains high-grade for up to three times longer. Evaluating how often
you use it will help to determine if you should refrigerate it or not. Of course,
it wouldn't cause any harm to store it in the fridge either way: better safe than sorry!