Foods To Never Refrigerate: Many foods can be preserved by refrigeration which keeps them fresh and increases their shelf life. However, it is important to remember that not everything benefits from refrigeration, particularly in the winter when room temperature can be sufficient to preserve quality. Many people automatically put food in the refrigerator to keep it fresher longer, but doing so may shorten the shelf life, texture and flavour of some foods.

The refrigerator's cold environment can occasionally accelerate food deterioration or result in unfavourable changes like mushiness, excessive dryness or loss of flavour. Here are some foods that you should avoid keeping in the refrigerator in winter. 

Foods To Not Refrigerate In Winter

Bread

Bread is often refrigerated to keep it from turning stale, particularly in the winter. But this habit may cause more harm than benefit. Bread's starches crystallise more quickly in the refrigerator's cold temperature, speeding up the staling process and causing it to dry up more quickly. 

Tomato

Tomatoes lose their flavour and develop a mealy, mushy texture when their cell walls are broken down by refrigeration. Furthermore, tomatoes may ripen unevenly due to chilly temperatures interfering with the ethylene gas production that controls the ripening process.

Potato

potato

Foods To Never Refrigerate In Winter (Image Credits: Canva)

While it may appear that storing potatoes in the refrigerator would keep them fresher longer, freezing temperatures turn the starches in potatoes into sugars, which gives them a rough texture when cooked. Furthermore, potatoes may sprout too soon or get dark patches if they are refrigerated.

Garlic

Garlic should also not be kept in the refrigerator, especially in the winter. Cold temperatures promote garlic to sprout more quickly, resulting in bitter green shoots, even though refrigeration may seem like a good strategy to prolong garlic's shelf life. 

Banana

Although it may seem sensible to chill ripe bananas to delay their ripening, cold temperatures actually cause the ripening process to be disrupted and the skin of the fruit to darken. Bananas become mushy and less appetising when refrigerated. 

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(Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis or treatment.)