Knowing where to store your groceries at home can be a minefield.
Recently, scientists withdrew advice not to keep potatoes in the refrigerator amid carcinogenic fears.
Now many are confused as to where to store their fresh groceries.
Should eggs be in the closet? And what about cucumbers, tomatoes and eggs?
Here we explain – with the help of scientists – where you really should store your food to keep it fresher longer.
Should eggs be in the closet? And why not put cucumbers and tomatoes in the fridge? Scientists have explained where to store your food to keep it fresher for longer
potatoes
Scientists previously warned that storing raw potatoes in the refrigerator could pose a cancer risk.
For decades it was thought that storing vegetables at low temperatures led to the build-up of extra sugar. Experts suspected that these could turn into carcinogenic acrylamide when deep-fried, roasted or baked.
However, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has updated its guidance to say that potatoes can be stored “either in the refrigerator or in a cool, dry place”.
And consumer group Which? has followed suit, as revealed by The Mail on Sunday.
Shefalee Loth, nutritionist at which?, said: ‘Experts are now saying that refrigerating potatoes – which were once considered a health risk – is a great way to get the most out of them, especially if you’re not going to use them straight away.’
Professor Thomas Sanders of King’s College London said the science behind the cancer-causing theory has always been nonsense.
He said: “Acrylamide is formed by a reaction with an amino acid, asparagine, at high temperatures.
Scientists previously warned that storing potatoes in the refrigerator could pose a cancer risk. It was believed that storing raw potatoes at low temperatures led to the formation of extra sugars, which turned into carcinogenic acrylamide when the potatoes were fried, roasted or baked. But this theory has not been debunked
“This happens mainly when deep-frying and roasting. Blanching or soaking potatoes before roasting or deep-frying reduces acrylamide build-up.
“Microwaved, baked, or boiled potatoes do not contain acrylamide.”
Potatoes should be kept in the dark, this can be in a refrigerator, but a dry place is fine, according to registered dietitian Dr. Duane Mellor from Aston University in Birmingham better.
He said, “A cupboard might be better as the closed fridge can be wetter.”
Cucumber
It may surprise you that you shouldn’t store cucumbers in a refrigerator.
In fact, instead of preserving your pickles, the fridge will make them mushy, experts say.
dr Mellor said, “Although they are harvested, they are still alive and the cells can break down when exposed to cold, affecting flavor and texture.”
Cucumbers are sensitive to temperatures below 10 °C.
So if you insist on keeping the crunchy veg in the fridge, make sure it’s at the front, where it’s warmest.
Keeping them in their plastic acts as a protective shield and seals in the moisture, preventing it from draining off too quickly as well.
banana
You should keep bananas away from other fruits and vegetables if you don’t want them to rot faster.
Ethylene is a natural gas released by some fruits and vegetables that can speed up the ripening process.
And bananas are the main culprits for producing more of this gas than other fruits, experts say.
according to dr Tai Ibitoye, a London-based nutritionist, says some fruits and vegetables are more sensitive than others.
She said: “It’s not necessarily a bad thing.
“For example, if someone wants their avocado to ripen faster, they can put it in a paper bag next to a ripe banana and let the ethylene from the banana do the work.”
To prevent this, Professor Sanders suggests keeping the bananas in a sealed bag to prevent this gas from ripening other fruits and vegetables nearby.
The fruit should also not be stored in the refrigerator, but at room temperature.
Since it is a tropical fruit, they do not like the cold.
The cool temperatures of the refrigerator prevent the enzymes that help them ripen from working. Instead, other enzymes take over, including browning enzymes, which turn the bananas black.
But if you want your bananas to last longer, Ms. Ibitoye suggests freezing them.
However, make sure they are peeled and wrapped or in an airtight container before putting them in the freezer.
You should keep bananas away from other fruits and vegetables if you don’t want them to rot faster. Ethylene is a natural gas released by some fruits and vegetables that can speed up the ripening process. And bananas are major culprits for producing more of this gas than other fruits
Bread
Bread should be kept in the cupboard, experts say.
Storing bread in cool temperatures only dries it out, according to Kate Llewellyn-Waters, nutritionist at Channel 5’s You Are What You Eat and author of The Immunity Cookbook.
This is because the starch molecules in the bread recrystallize faster at cooler temperatures. This makes the bread hard and stale much faster.
Again, you can freeze bread if you want to keep it a little longer, and then just defrost it when you’re ready to eat it.
However, remember that storing bread in a damp place can cause it to mold faster.
Onion
Like garlic and root vegetables, onions should be stored in a cool, dark, and dry place, such as B. in a closet.
However, they should be kept away from fruits that produce ethylene, such as bananas, as they are particularly sensitive to the gas they give off, Ms Ibitoye said.
The cold temperatures of a refrigerator aren’t good for onions either, as the starches convert to sugars.
This means onions can go mushy, soft, and go bad much faster than if they were stored in a cupboard, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Humidity and light can also cause onions to go moldy and begin to sprout.
pears
Just like bananas, pears release ethylene gas as they ripen, which can rot the other fruit in the skin.
However, pears thrive best in the fruit bowl, especially when they are not yet ripe.
Just like bananas, pears release ethylene gas as they ripen, which can rot the other fruit in the skin
Ms Llewellyn-Waters said: “Keep these in the fruit bowl for a few days first, then refrigerate them – they can be refrigerated for about three days before the flavor is affected.”
Just remember to keep pears away from vegetables like cucumbers, which are sensitive to the ripening agent ethylene.
apples
According to experts, you should keep apples out of the fruit bowl and in the fridge.
dr Mellor says that low temperature and low oxygen levels keep the fruit fresh, which is why it is stored and shipped worldwide under these conditions.
He said: “The enzymatic production of ethylene requires oxygen.
“So if you have a high nitrogen environment, like the apple transport boats do, it stops ripening and keeps the apple crisp.”
Although it’s difficult to control oxygen levels at home, keeping them cold and wrapped up should do the trick.
Professor Sanders added: “Apples also produce a lot of ethylene, so wrap apples that you store in newspaper.
“Hence the expression of a rotten apple.
“A rotten apple produces a lot of ethylene, which causes other apples to overripe.”
tomatoes
In stores, tomatoes are kept at room temperature, but many of us pop them straight into the fridge when we bring them home.
While it helps keep them cool in the fridge, it will extend their shelf life, but it can also destroy their flavor.
Knowing where to store your fresh groceries can be difficult. Do eggs belong in the cupboard or in the fridge and why shouldn’t you put cucumbers and tomatoes in the fridge? Experts say some fruits and vegetables release a gas that causes others to rot faster
Just like cucumbers, the cells in a tomato break down when exposed to the cold, which Dr. Mellor affects their texture and taste.
So if you want to keep your tomatoes flavorful, keep them at room temperature and try to eat them within a few days.
But if you just want to preserve them, says Ms. Ibitoye, you can freeze them.
She said, “Peppers and tomatoes can also be frozen but will get mushy once thawed but are still good for cooking.”
carrots
Although carrots are not a delicate vegetable, they do better in a cooler climate.
Ms Llewellyn-Waters said: “Certain harder root vegetables such as carrots, beets and parsnips are also best kept refrigerated.”
However, carrots can last a few days in the cupboard without refrigeration. But the colder temperatures keep them fresher for longer.
Ms. Ibitoye said: “[Some people] may not have good storage space in the fridge or in the kitchen. And it may not be a big problem for most.
“But when people are noticing that their produce is spoiling faster than usual, it’s important that they understand why that may be the case.”
She added, “When possible, buying frozen vegetables like frozen carrots and chopped onions can be a better option, as frozen produce tends to last longer than fresh (and a lot cheaper, too).”
Another way to keep carrots fresh after slicing is to soak them in some water and put them back in the fridge. This will prevent them from losing moisture and wilting.
The British Egg Safety Authority states that the fridge is the best place to keep eggs because it gives them a longer shelf life. The Food Standards Agency says to store eggs in a “cool, dry place, ideally the refrigerator.”
eggs
Where to store eggs is probably the most confusing place.
In the supermarket, eggs are kept on the shelves at room temperature.
But many store them in the fridge for when they get home, which experts say is best.
The British Egg Safety Authority states that the fridge is the best place to keep eggs because it gives them a longer shelf life.
According to which? Eggs are best stored on the middle shelf of the fridge as it is colder there – as opposed to the door which is one of the warmest areas – and is good for eggs, milk and leftovers.
The FSA recommends storing eggs in a “cool, dry place, ideally in the fridge”.