Refrigerate or not?
I typically refrigerate everything such as store-bought breads, bagels, potatoes, onions, etc...but I have friends that swear by leaving their onions & potatoes out in a cupboard and leave their bread in a bread box or out on the counter, which I always fear it would get moldy like that. I also have a friend that has root cellars in which she stores her root vegetables (carrots, potatoes, etc) in sand to keep for long periods of time. What do you guys do-- refrigerate everything or some things? If I've just baked something, I typically leave it out on the counter, because it usually gets eaten up by the housefolk within a couple days' time and I don't like baked goods getting all hard & crusty..... So , just curious about this, do share! :)
I don't refrigerate onions or potatoes but it's best to keep them in a cool, dark place - I keep mine in my basement! I refrigerate my bread because I don't eat it fast enough to keep it out. I also don't refrigerate my peanut butter which some people find really weird, but I think cold peanut butter is disgusting.
Yeah, I've heard crazy things like you should refrigerate or freeze virtually everything-nuts, grains, flours, etc. I barely have enough room for the stuff that I feel actually must be refrigerated for safety. I think the issue with a lot of that stuff is that it'll last longer without going rancid, but honestly, I've never had an issue with grains, and nuts have only gone rancid after months on the cupboard shelf. PB I've never had an issue with not being refrigerated. I do know that you're supposed to never refrigerate bread because it will dry out. Freezing it is ok though. That said, I leave my bread on the counter until it is close to molding, then I move it to the refrigerator and deal with it being a little dryer (use it for stuffing or bread crumbs or something). Potatoes and onions and winter squash I've always just put in my cabinet.
I refrigerate everything too! Apples, onions, and even tomatoes (I can't stand warm tomatoes!)
I also freeze my coffee grinds and yeast for bread to keep it fresh, garlic and herbs too sometimes.
If I had more room, I'd probably freeze/fridge my flours too.
Bananas stay out, but I have a tough time with anything else since one time we had mice and they would nibble through anything in a bag or box!
I'm about to freeze beans too soon once i get a chance to soak and cook them. Talk about convenience and keeping things less processed!
I suppose I refridgerate more than most, but that's because my pantry is teeny tiny. Potatoes and onions stay out, otherwise they sprout. And tomatoes, banana, peaches, nectarines and avocados need warmth to ripen. I do keep a lot of my flours in the freezer esp in the summer because high protein flours can spoil fast, like whole wheat, brown rice and soy.
I keep ketchup in the fridge, though, and I know lots who don't and don't refridge my home made PB.
I freeze bread because I don't eat it fast enough to leave it out. I refrigerate my baked goods in the warmer months just to be on the safe side. I had a cake and a loaf of banana bread get moldy because I left them on the counter in hot and humid weather. I also refrigerate onions because I've had them get moldy in the cabinet, but I don't refrigerate potatoes. I keep most fruit in the fridge, and also coffee, miso, fresh garlic, mustard, and bread yeast. Things like ketchup, peanut butter, bbq sauce, soy sauce, flours etc. stay in the cabinet.
My mom refrigerates soy sauce, red wine vinegar (but not other vinegars), worcestershire sauce, and liquid smoke. Not sure why...I leave those in the cabinet and have never had any problems.
I refrigerate onions, potatoes (usually, if there's room), catnip (yeah...), most sauces.
I don't refrigerate peanut butter (the natural stuff gets rock hard in the fridge!), soy sauce (though many bottles say you're supposed to...), winter squash, or nuts. I guess the nuts is the a good idea though, considering I've gotten rancid peanut before... but I don't think coldness will help that; oils are made rancid by UV light (sunlight) and oxygen (put in a sealed container? still doesn't work for some things...).
I leave out fresh baked goods, but eventually refrigerate cakes & such. I never refrigerate cookies or (home made) bread. I do refrigerate or freeze store-bought bread, though, because I've had a loaf go moldy once... if only I had needed some pencillin.
Yeah, I've heard crazy things like you should refrigerate or freeze virtually everything-nuts, grains, flours, etc. I barely have enough room for the stuff that I feel actually must be refrigerated for safety. I think the issue with a lot of that stuff is that it'll last longer without going rancid, but honestly, I've never had an issue with grains, and nuts have only gone rancid after months on the cupboard shelf. PB I've never had an issue with not being refrigerated. I do know that you're supposed to never refrigerate bread because it will dry out. Freezing it is ok though. That said, I leave my bread on the counter until it is close to molding, then I move it to the refrigerator and deal with it being a little dryer (use it for stuffing or bread crumbs or something). Potatoes and onions and winter squash I've always just put in my cabinet.
Yeah, I actually freeze all my flours, grains, and beans for at least 3 days to kill any weevils or eggs that may be in there growing while on the shelf and them move them to airtight containers before I actually use them for cooking. If I have room in the freezer, I leave the flour in there. I know nuts go rancid quicker at room temp, so I try to refrigerate them, but I don't always do this. With the natural *stir* peanut butters, I thought you had to refrigerate, no?
My mother used to freeze the bread before setting it on the counter and I never noticed a difference in taste.
Then again, I don't eat that much toast any more.