Is your fridge empty or full?

coolcait

Each individual will decide where they prefer to store foodstuffs.

For those who want to look at 'guidance', potatoes are on the list of foodstuffs which are supposed to be best left out of the fridge.

Apparently storing them in the fridge affects the quality. The traditional 'cool, dark place' is recommended. Same goes for onions.

Bananas are also supposed to do better outside the fridge. The exception on that front seems to be for those who prefer to eat their bananas green.

The really green bananas - plantains - can be frozen, if you remove the skin and wrap them tightly in clingfilm first. So I am told.

Eggs - the reasons behind keeping them out of the fridge have already been mentioned on this thread.

Tomatoes - that one took me by surprise. Apparently keeping them in the fridge affects the flavour. Maybe that's why I find that supermarket tomatoes have no taste, but homegrown ones have an amazing scent and flavour.

Each to their own. If someone uses the fridge to store things which I keep in the kitchen, or vice versa, fair play to them.

Variety is the spice of life after all - and where better than the kitchen to remember that motto?

Georgiegirl256

coolcait wrote: »

Tomatoes - that one took me by surprise. Apparently keeping them in the fridge affects the flavour. Maybe that's why I find that supermarket tomatoes have no taste, but homegrown ones have an amazing scent and flavour.
?

We (me, my Mam and my Uncle) were just talking the other night about how tomatoes nowadays don't seem to have that much taste, but when my grandad grew them in his greenhouse, they were very flavoursome.

missbiggles1

fierystormcloud wrote: »

I agree. The egg trays wouldn't be in the fridge if eggs weren't meant to be kept in there!



As for potatoes... I always keep them in there; seems odd not to IMO. It preserves them. Same with fruit... and other fresh vegetables, and salad stuff...

I have left potatoes out before - in error: I left them in the pantry, and they went off within a week (it was summer and quite warm.) But in the fridge they lasted for 4 times longer.

Can't imagine why people wouldn't keep ALL short-shelf-life perishables in the fridge - if there is the room.

I'm fully aware some stuff is not in the fridge in the store; eggs, potatoes, fruit, veg etc, but the fact is, it preserves them in the fridge, so they last much longer.

Moreover, cucumber, lettuce, tomatoes and all other types of salad stuff is not in the fridge in the store, but people keep all THAT in the fridge.

Eggs will be fine outside the fridge, (as long as the temperature is not above 25C,) and they are better for baking when they are 'room temperature,' but refrigerating them definitely preserves them.

I have kept my eggs refrigerated all my life, it has never caused any issues, and I don't intend to change my ways.

Whatever, each to their own. I know what works for me.

I don't think that potatoes are short life perishable though, because under proper storage conditions they last for months anyway.

Apparently, keeping them in the fridge changes their flavour.

"Colder temperatures lower than 50 degrees, such as in the refrigerator, cause a potato’s starch to convert to sugar, resulting in a sweet taste and discoloration when cooked."

http://www.potatogoodness.com/all-about-potatoes/buying-storing/

ETA
I didn't know that before,just happened to read it.

Pollycat

Georgiegirl256 wrote: »

I always keep my chocolate in the fridge as I like it hard. DH prefers it soft almost to the point of melting, so leaves his out.

No room for my bars of Green & Black's in my fridge.

Pollycat

Georgiegirl256 wrote: »

It's interesting to read what others have in their fridges and how they store things. Just following on from fierys list, does anyone else keep their eggs and potatoes in the fridge. I keep my eggs in a basket on the worktoo and the potatoes in a wooden box on a storage unit.

My eggs go in the fridge, potatoes are stored in the garage either in a cardbaord box (usually the ones for mashing), new potatoes are stored in a Primark carrier bag.

Alikay

I've got 2 fridges which were always full when there were 6 or 7 of us living here. Now it's mainly just DH and me at home, the one in the utility area mainly contains Prosecco and beer .

Mr_Toad

We tend to forget the world before the fridge became widely available. They are without doubt a brilliant invention and certainly prolong the life of many things.

But, while most of us chuck stuff in there thinking it's the right thing to do or simply because it's a convenient, one stop, cupboard there are some things that are better not refrigerated.

http://www.caloriesecrets.net/10-foods-you-should-never-put-in-the-fridge/

Eggs is a really good one.

They last longer if kept in the fridge but unless you need them to last a long time they shouldn't be kept there as they are better stored at room temperature.

Eggs in my local Tesco aren't chilled and the ones I bought at the weekend have a display until date of the 11th Feb. and a use by date of the 18th Feb. but they will be long gone before that. I never put them in the fridge.

Sadly there isn't much in my fridge at the moment.

Five years ago I was diagnosed with a rare brain disease, no cure, where my immune system blocks the chemical signals that make the muscles work. During the winter months when immune systems are on high alert I can't chew food, even though I'm taking immuno suppressants, so I'm living on porridge, soup and scrambled eggs. I make fruit into smoothies so I get enough, banana or raspberry is my favourite.

I'm looking forward to spring when my immune system stands down and I hopefully return to normal.

For those wishing to lose weight I can recommend the porridge and soup diet. My illness is progressive and last winter was the first time I was unable to chew. I lost 6.5 stone between December and April. On the up side I was overweight but I did get to the point where I had to go on food supplements.

The irony is that everyone keeps telling my how fantastic I look. This is partly due to the weight loss and partly because I had to replace my entire wardrobe.

Feral_Moon

I don't store eggs, tomatoes or bananas in the fridge but I do store potatoes, onions and garlic as I find it helps to stop them from sprouting.

I have two chest freezers for dog food and a large American fridge freezer just for myself. The freezer side is almost always relatively full. I'm currently trying to use up stuff in there so I haven't been shopping since before Xmas therefore my fridge isn't quite as full as usual.

Some of the long stay fridge residents are numerous jars of condiments, cooking ingredients, marinades, dressings, jams etc; bottles of cordial, squash and soda water; basic fruit & veg; milk, butter, cheeses; wine!

At other times there will be a combination of fresh vegetables, salads, meat, fish etc waiting to be cooked/eaten along with pots of HM soup and leftovers which will get moved into the freezer if not eaten within 48hrs.

pigpen

bananas go black really quickly in the fridge and really shouldn't be in there or near any other fruit as they make them turn quicker too.. though if you buy a bunch of green bananas (or other not-quite-ripe fruit) and yellow ones and keep them together the green ones will ripen quicker.. they give off some chemical apparently.

Potatoes should be kept in a cool dry dark place to prevent sprouting.. the fridge is too cold and too damp... I do keep ne potatoes in there for convenience but usually only have them a day or 2.

eggs.. they go in the fridge because I do not want them cluttering up my work surfaces and having the cat bat them about and OH dropping stuff on them.

Onions I wouldn't use raw so I buy a sack full, chop and freeze in sandwich bags.. 2 onions in each

MallyGirl

pigpen wrote: »

rammed... and nothing ever goes off.

It is also a 6ft fridge..

same here. We like our condiments and almost all seem to say keep refrigerated these days. Plus each of us likes different fruit juice so that is 3 cartons, and I have skimmed milk but DD and DH have semi. There is always cheese (for them, I can't stand it), usually sliced meat, chorizo, 2 big veg / salad drawers always full, raw food defrosting for the dogs, meat for the next meal, maybe a couple of bottles of ale, a bottle of tonic, lager/cider.