7 Foods You’ve Been Storing Wrong Your Whole Life

I'm glad you're enthusiastic about cheese—it's hard not to be with the amazing selections available nowadays. When you bring your cheese home, it usually comes wrapped in plastic, and it's tempting to just pop it in the fridge. But if you're investing in quality cheese, it's worth storing it properly to reduce waste and enhance flavor.

The cheese we purchase often comes wrapped in plastic, and upon bringing it home, we typically toss it into the fridge. When we open it, we might transfer it to more plastic wrap or a Ziploc baggie.

However, if you're investing in quality cheese, it's worth storing it properly. Not only will this reduce food waste, but it will also maintain the cheese's flavor.

Good cheese is a living organism that needs to breathe, much like other living organisms. Therefore, plastic is not ideal for keeping cheese at its best. This is great news if you're aiming to reduce plastic usage in the kitchen.

To store cheese, opt for parchment or freezer paper. Personally, I prefer purchasing parchment sheets rather than rolls because they are easier to work with. Simply place your unwrapped cheese in the center of the paper, wrap it tightly, similar to wrapping a present, and secure the paper with painter’s tape. You may need to wrap the tape around the cheese and stick it to itself, as most other tapes won't adhere well to parchment paper. Don't forget to label the tape with the date and type of cheese for easy identification.

If your fridge has a cheese drawer, that's perfect for storing your wrapped cheeses. Otherwise, you can use a container with a lid, but leave the lid slightly ajar. To prevent other foods from absorbing cheese odors, place a small jar of baking soda in the drawer and replace it monthly.

It might seem like extra effort, but the improved flavor of your cheese makes it worth it. Remember to let your cheese come to room temperature before enjoying it for the best flavor experience.

When we rush to unpack groceries, meat often ends up in the fridge wherever there's space, leading to spills and drips. For better storage, consider using the freezer if you won't use the meat right away. Packaged meat usually comes with a "use by" or "freeze by" date, but it's best to decide promptly upon bringing it home. If you won't use it within a few days, freeze it.

To prevent contamination and make cleanup easier, consider using a storage bin in the fridge dedicated to meat. This way, if there's a leak, other foods won't be affected, and you'll only need to wash one container. For added organization, you can use separate containers for different types of meat, such as beef, chicken, and pork.

Those little shelves in the refrigerator door might seem convenient, but they're the worst spot for storing milk. Each time you open the fridge, the milk is exposed to light and warm air, which can shorten its shelf life.

For optimal freshness, store milk towards the back of the fridge, where it's coldest. If your milk lasts more than a week, consider placing it on the lowest shelf towards the back.

Opting for milk in cartons instead of plastic jugs has several benefits. 

Cartons block out light, which can contribute to spoilage and flavor loss. Additionally, they generate less plastic waste and are stackable, making storage easier.

The way you store your eggs can vary depending on where you reside and where you purchase your eggs. It often surprises many Americans to learn that eggs are not refrigerated in the UK (and most of Europe). Instead, they are typically found on the regular shelves in supermarkets, akin to a bag of flour or a box of pasta. Once you bring them home, they can be stored on the counter or in the pantry, where they can remain fresh for several weeks.

Well, it's important to note that if there were widespread issues with people falling ill from spoiled eggs, it would likely make headlines. Moreover, salmonella isn't a major concern because poultry in the UK is commonly vaccinated against it.

So, there's a vaccine that can prevent salmonella in chickens, and it's been available since the 1990s? Yup, that's correct.

As for why it hasn't been widely adopted in the US, well, that's a complicated topic.

With the salmonella concern addressed, one might wonder about the need for refrigerating eggs to prevent spoilage. The truth is, no, eggs don't necessarily have to be refrigerated to stay fresh.

This final layer, formed during the egg's development, acts as a barrier, sealing the egg and preventing bacteria and gases from permeating the shell. As a result, the yolk remains fresh and uncontaminated, whether it's nourishing a developing chick or waiting to be consumed by humans. If the egg is unfertilized, it remains shelf-stable without refrigeration for several weeks.

However, once an egg is washed or refrigerated, the protective bloom is removed, and the egg's pores become susceptible to allowing bacteria and oxygen to pass through the shell, requiring refrigeration to maintain freshness.

So, it's understandable to wonder why we don't adopt this simple method of storing eggs in the US, especially considering its potential benefits in reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions associated with refrigeration and transportation. The reasons behind this vary and can include industry standards, consumer preferences, and regulations.

The FDA mandates refrigeration for commercially produced eggs to prevent salmonella, adding a twist of irony to the situation. 

If you purchase eggs from a store or previously refrigerated source, they must remain refrigerated. However, eggs from farmers' markets or friends without refrigeration can be stored on the counter. Alternatively, consider starting your backyard flock for fresh, unrefrigerated eggs.

Here's the simple rule: keep your tomatoes out of the fridge unless you're not a fan of their flavor.

Tomatoes don't fare well in cold temperatures. The natural enzymes they contain are sensitive to cold, and refrigeration can lead to a mealy texture as these enzymes break down the cell walls. Even more crucially, storing tomatoes below 54°F halts the production of the enzymes responsible for their signature flavor, resulting in bland tomatoes.

The best part about skipping the fridge is that tomatoes will continue to ripen on the counter. So, if you have an underripe tomato, just leave it on the counter for a couple of days, and it will develop its full flavor.

Let's talk about storing nuts. While it might seem nuts to keep almonds in the pantry, hear me out. Most of us don't give much thought to how we store nuts, but getting it right can make a big difference in flavor.

Nuts contain natural oils that give them much of their flavor. However, these oils are sensitive and can start to degrade even at room temperature. To keep your almonds, pecans, walnuts, peanuts, and the like tasting their best, store them in a tightly sealed, airtight container in the fridge.

For optimal flavor, let them come up to room temperature before enjoying them. You'll be amazed at the improvement in taste. So, next time you're waiting for that cheese to warm up, throw in your nuts too—it's worth it!

Happy fridge restocking! Remember, a little planning goes a long way in keeping your food fresh and delicious. Credited to Rural Sprout