Refrigerating fruit is thought to help prevent fruits from ripening too quickly and in many cases this is true. However, with some fruits the complete opposite can occur. Bananas and melons for example go black very quickly in the refrigerator, tomatoes lose the retention in their skin whilst avocados in the refrigerator will not soften and instead will gain a rather hard texture. These fruits are generally from the Tropics, the Mediterranean and other warm climates and therefore do not deal well with the cold very well. Meanwhile those fruits from temperate climates, in general deal well with the cold and apples can easily be stored for long times in the refrigerator and it often gives them a crunchier texture.
Vegetables follow similar rules to fruits, the ones from temperate climates keep very well when refrigerated whilst vegetables such as peppers and courgettes become mushy very quickly and should be kept in a fruit bowl out of the refrigerator. Root vegetables do not keep that well in the refrigerator, the cool temperatures in refrigerators will increase the sugar content in vegetables such as potatoes which can lead to the release of carcinogenic chemicals when baked. Root vegetables such as carrots, parsnips and onions should be kept at room temperature in a dark, dry place such as a cupboard. Mushrooms, although not a root vegetable, also fall into this category.
There are certain other things to consider when putting food in the refrigerator, when putting large containers of hot food in a refrigerator for example think about splitting them up into shallow containers first. A large bowl of soup for example will take a long time to cool down in the middle of the soup and this can be very dangerous; the same goes for stews and pies.
One should never store perishable foods in the doors of refrigerators. It is the part of the refrigerator where the temperature ranges the most. So try not to put your eggs in the doors, despite the rather misleading egg racks and try not to milk in there either. The best thing to fill it with, it seems to me, are a few beers and maybe a bottle of wine.
Most important of all it seems though is to keep your refrigerator clean. Once a week, have a look in your refrigerator and throw away all the perishable foods that have become unsuitable for eating and give all the shelves a good scrub down. It is also usually quite difficult to get rid of bad odours from a refrigerator, so try to keep an open box of baking soda in the refrigerator at all times to eliminate odours. If, however, you’re not starting from scratch and your refrigerator is starting to pong a bit then try washing out your refrigerator with a mixture of water and vinegar; the acid in the mixture will help kill off any bacteria.
Foods which should never be put in the refrigerator:
Eggs
Tomatoes
Bell Peppers
Potatoes
Parsnips
Onions
Carrots
Bananas
Melons
Avocados
Mushrooms
Bread
Cakes
Chocolate Spread
Peanut Butter
Honey
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The refrigerator is not the best place for your potatoes.
As the United States Potato Board notes, refrigeration can cause potatoes to darken during cooking and to develop an unpleasantly sweet taste. The reason is that the chilly environment of the fridge helps to convert the potato’s starch to sugar.
If you store your potatoes in the pantry, on the other hand, you won’t have that problem. At normal room temperatures, they’ll keep for about one to two weeks,
Better yet, if you can find a storage area with a temperature of about 45° to 55° F, your spuds should last up to three months.
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Taro Colocasia
Storage
Keep in a cool dark place. It will keep more than a week in the refrigerator crisper.
Freeze after first blanching for 5 minutes.