Don't Put Your Bread In The Fridge

[dlevere]

By Mary Beth Quirk


(Photo: liz west)

We’ve all got a somewhat innate sense of where to store the foods we eat in our modern cultures — you’re not going to stick your ice cream in the pantry and expect it to stay frozen, or freeze your fresh apples. But what about butter — countertop or refrigerator? Should I really use that “eggs” slot on the inside of my fridge door? Answer us, oh kitchen gods!

Julia Collin Davison is an executive food editor for the book division of America’s Test Kitchen and is an on-screen test cook for America’s Test Kitchen and Cook’s Country from America’s Test Kitchen. And she was also kind enough to chat with Consumerist about some of the foods we think people might be storing incorrectly.

Today, we’ll focus on some of the more perishable (and debated-about) items in your kitchen: Dairy, eggs, and bread.

EGGS:
Where to store: In the refrigerator, obviously, but more precisely…
Where exactly: In the back of the fridge– not in the door, even if your fridge has one of those egg-holder things. “Those holders are in a horrible location, because eggs need to be stored as cold as possible and that door is the warmest place,” notes Davison. “So take that thing out, it’s usually removable, and store them in the back of the fridge.”

BUTTER:
Where to store: For daily use, either the countertop or in the refrigerator will do. For long-term storage, put that butter in the freezer.
How to store it: Butter really likes to absorb certain smells, so keep yours wrapped and/or covered and away from smelly foods so it won’t take on their odors.
Butter on the counter… really? There is a bit of war (at least in the Consumerist bat cave) between those who think it’s perfectly okay to store your butter in a “butter bell” on the counter and those who think that’s just revolting. We were hoping Davison could declare which side of this divisive issue was in the right, but alas… it’s somewhat of a stalemate.

“For short-term storage, like if you’re going to go through a stick pretty quickly, whether you choose to keep it in the butter bell on the counter or whether you just to keep it in the fridge — it’s kind of your call,” she explains.

And so the war wages on.

YOGURT:
Where to store: In the refrigerator, for goodness’ sakes.
Why are we even including this one? I had to add this one out of fear that some people might find it okay to keep yogurt unrefrigerated. As Davison points out, she’s seen corner stores in New York City with unrefrigerated butter. So um, don’t do that.

CHEESE:
Where to store: Refrigerator
How: The ATK team found that those pricy wax-paper specialty cheese storage bags you can buy keep cheese at its freshest, but a zip-top plastic bag should do just fine. Keep air out of it and keep it cold; that’s what you’re looking for.

BREAD:
Where to store: For daily use, it’s fine to keep it on the counter in a breadbox or whathaveyou, or in the pantry. If you’re storing the bread, or storing gluten-free breads, the freezer is your best best. Don’t put it in the fridge (more on that in a second).
What about plastic bags? In a bag, air is the enemy. If you live in a humid climate you can leave that bag open a little bit to prevent moisture build-up.
What’s wrong with keeping bread in the fridge? “Bread should not go in the refrigerator, period,” Davison says. “The refrigerator will speed up the staling process, a process called retrogradation. It’s the process of the removal of moisture from products.”

She adds that homemade gluten-free bread will stale within hours of baking, so she suggests slicing homemade loaves and throwing them in a plastic bag in the freezer to take out as you need.

The next part of Spoilage Wars will look at where to put your fruits and vegetables, and how to keep them from rotting as soon as you get them home from the supermarket.

[dlevere]

Keep Your Onions & Potatoes Separated And Other Tips

By Mary Beth Quirk


(Jonathan Coffey)

We’ve all got kitchens and we all eat food, but not everyone can agree on where and how to store that food so it doesn’t immediately turn into a moldy mess or dry out into a worthless husk. Last week, we looked at the the best places and methods for keeping your bread, dairy and eggs fresh, and in this second Spoilage Wars installment, we’ll deal with the fruits and vegetables you endeavor to keep from rotting away.

Since we’re not the experts, we once again turn to Julia Collin Davison — executive food editor for the book division of America’s Test Kitchen and on-screen test cook for America’s Test Kitchen and Cook’s Country from America’s Test Kitchen — to learn from her experience.

GARLIC:
Where to store: Countertop
In a bag or not? Davison says garlic should be ideally be kept in an open basket with room for air circulation at room temperature. Don’t remove the papery outsides until just before use, as it protects the garlic.
What about those green shoots? Chances are you’ve encountered cloves of garlic that have started to develop green shoots in the center. Davison says not to worry about these. Just take them out when you’re cutting up the garlic because they don’t always taste so great.

ONIONS:
Where to store: Countertop
Be careful about the neighbors: Just like garlic, you’ll want to keep the onions in a ventilated space. In fact, it’s perfectly fine to store the two alongside each other, says Davison. What you don’t want is to have your potatoes and onions in close proximity, as gases from the onions can hasten sprouting in potatoes.

Speaking of taters…

POTATOES:
Where to store: Pantry or cupboard
Kept in the dark: Davison says your potatoes should be stored inside a paper bag in a cool, dark, dry place. And as mentioned above, away from onions and their sprout-encouraging gases. Sprouted potatoes are safe to eat, notes Davison, but you should remove the sprouts themselves using the tip of a vegetable peeler or other tool. The potato sprouts are considered toxic due to their potentially high concentration of glycoalkaloids, which can have an effect on the nervous system.

CORN & FRESH PEAS:
Where to store: Refrigerator
Keep ‘em where you can see ‘em: Don’t shove these foods into the cold recesses of the back of the fridge, says Davison. Instead, keep them in the front where it’s warmest (but still cool, because it is a refrigerator, after all). The fridge will keep them fresh but if it’s too cold, they could become dried out.

And when you’re storing corn on the cob, keep the husks on and wrap all the ears of corn in a damp paper towel, keeping the whole thing inside a plastic bag.

“You want to keep the corn in as humid an environment as possible,” explains Davison, “so no cold air can get in there and dry things out.”

KEEP THESE ITEMS OUT OF THE FRIDGE –
TOMATOES, APRICOTS, AVOCADOS, BANANAS, KIWIS, MANGOS, NECTARINES, PAPAYAS, PEACHES, PLUMS, PINEAPPLE
Where to store: Countertop
How: Fruit bowls and baskets don’t just look cute in photos. They’re good places to keep your fresh produce. Davison says that the best way to store tomatoes is stem-down if they’re off the vine. This prevents moisture from escaping and bacteria from entering, and thus prolongs shelf life.

The foods in this group are prone to “chill injury,” says Davison says, so it’s best keep them out of the fridge. This is especially true for tomatoes.

“If they’re stored in the fridge the starches really become mealy,” explains Davison.

FRIDGE-FRIENDLY FOODS–
APPLES, CHERRIES, GRAPES, CELERY
Where to store: Refrigerator, though apples, cherries, and grapes will all survive on the countertop too (just not as long).
How: While corn and peas have to stay up front, these foods are good to go anywhere in the fridge, says Davison.
An extra tip about celery: According to testing by Davison her ATK colleagues, the best way to store celery is to wrap it in foil first.

The next installment of Spoilage Wars will look at the best way to keep your condiments, oils, herbs and spices from losing their potency.