My refrigerator suffers from a chronic lack of space. The problem isn’t leftovers, it’s condiments. Jars and bottles have taken over the door and taken over the main shelves. There’s barely any space between the chili crisp, maple syrup, oyster sauce, gochujang, spicy mustard, several types of hot sauce, and numerous other condiments, so I’ve started stacking the containers. Squeezing in new items is like playing Tetris and Jenga at the same time. And it’s all because of three little words on the labels: “Refrigerate after opening.”
But in many cases, these instructions seem not just unnecessary but confusing. Pickles are usually refrigerated after opening, but their real purpose is preservation. The same can be said for fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, and certain hot sauces. Bottles of ketchup are ubiquitous on diner counters, and containers of chili oil and soy sauce can be found on tables in Chinese restaurants. So why should they take up valuable space in your home refrigerator?
Meanwhile, foods that should be kept in the fridge sit in the pantry, and nuts go rancid. A few months laterSpices fade in roughly the same amount of time. Recently, a bag of flaxseed I’d only bought a few weeks earlier went rotten and started to smell like paint thinner. Kasiviswanathan Muthukumarappan, a refrigeration expert at South Dakota State University, said that many foods that benefit from refrigeration are foods that aren’t typically refrigerated. But frustratingly, many shelf-stable foods are refrigerated by default, while foods that are refrigerated aren’t labeled as such. Food storage practices are often inconsistent, wasting valuable refrigerator space and food itself.
When you go to a grocery store, you’ll find that there are two types of food: refrigerator foods and pantry foods. For example, pasta and granola bars are stored at room temperature, while fresh foods like meat, dairy, and produce are kept refrigerated. These highly perishable foods are defined by the FDA as “temperature controlled for safety” foods, and 40 degrees Fahrenheit Slows the growth of many harmful microorganisms, Food poisoningOutside of the refrigerator, pathogens grow quickly, and according to the USDA, these foods shouldn’t be left unrefrigerated for even a day. 2 hours.
But the dichotomy between fridge and pantry foods is too simplistic. Many condiments, for example, sit in a fuzzy middle ground. Some mustards can be kept on the counter, but others are prone to mold, says Karen Shaich, a food science professor at Rutgers University. Relishes, which are pickled chopped vegetables or fruits, can also go moldy or develop yeast fermentation if not refrigerated. That’s partly down to the sugar content; microbes don’t thrive in an acidic environment, but they generally like some sugar. A good rule of thumb, Shaich says, is that condiments that are “extremely sour” are usually safe to keep on the counter, as long as they’re not sweet.
Proper food storage can’t be boiled down to a single question: to refrigerate or not to refrigerate, because refrigeration has two effects. Beyond safety, refrigeration helps preserve food’s flavor by slowing the growth of spoilage bacteria, which are usually harmless but produce unpleasant tastes and odors. Refrigeration also slows the natural processes that cause quality to deteriorate. Once safety is under control, “chemical reactions take over,” says Shaich, referring to reactions that can take months or years to give foods odd, unpleasant flavors.
The biggest culprit is oxidation, which is responsible for many unpleasant odors, tastes, and textures in foods, like stale Cheerios and oils that smell like clay. It is caused by exposure to oxygen and accelerated by factors like time, moisture, bacteria, light, and, most importantly, heat. Refrigeration keeps foods tasting fresh by controlling the latter. That’s why products like Heinz ketchup and Kikkoman soy sauce are labeled to be kept in the refrigerator — not for safety, but for flavor. Keep them in your pantry and you’re unlikely to get sick.
Certain molecules are more important than others when it comes to preserving flavor. “Fats are key,” Muthukumarappan says. Fatty foods, nuts like pecans and walnuts, and certain oils go rancid and spoil, and typically Sour or bitter taste And sometimes, The tangy smell of methl or waxy crayonsIt makes sense to store peanut butter, and nuts in general, in the refrigerator, says Muthukumarappan. If you plan on keeping them for years, storing them in the freezer is even better. Grains are similarly susceptible to rancidity; hemp seeds are high in oils and run off easily. Within a few monthsAccording to Shaich, some types of flour, especially Whole Grain Wheat flours such as rye and spelt are best stored in the fridge rather than in the cupboard, but they are best stored long-term in the freezer after being vacuum packed to remove oxygen, she says.
There are other reasons why it’s better to keep them in the fridge. Spices don’t usually oxidize, but they do lose potency. The milk carton-sized bottle of smoked paprika I ordered a year ago is now mostly red sawdust. Old cumin has a dull smell, like pencil shavings. Spices get their flavor and heat from volatile oils, which are also susceptible to oxidation. Muthukumarappan says that staleness is usually caused by repeated exposure to air, such as frequently opening and closing spice jars. Keeping them near heat or light can speed up the process. If you want to store spices for a long time, the freezer is a good place to put them in an airtight container. But if you use them frequently, it’s best to store them at room temperature. Refrigerating them can cause condensation every time you open the container, which can lead to clumping, flavor deterioration, and even microbial growth, Luke Laborde, a professor of food science at Pennsylvania State University, told me.
In all my years of cooking, I’ve never seen a bottle of ketchup that says it can be stored at room temperature. Similarly, I’ve never come across a spice bottle that says to store it in the freezer. Food storage instructions, or the lack thereof, highlight another reality: proper storage methods are inside information, not common knowledge. You probably won’t see instructions to refrigerate a bag of pine nuts, but… If you know, you knowIt’s unrealistic to expect every product to come with detailed instructions. A simpler storage approach might be to keep everything refrigerated by default, even if it takes up more space. That way, at least most foods will stay safer and probably fresher. When I asked Muthukumarappan if there are any foods that taste better at room temperature, he said he couldn’t think of any. But the question of whether or not foods taste better at room temperature is still a lively debate. tomatobread, eggs, butter, and olive oil It tastes best when eaten at room temperature.
The fridge-versus-pantry dichotomy will never fully encompass the murky science of food safety, and experts don’t always agree. Even the rules for produce aren’t entirely clear. All sliced fruit should be refrigerated, but not all whole fruit, especially sliced melon. Unlike most fruit, melon isn’t very acidic, which makes it a good hub for pathogens to grow, Laborde says. Garlic is safe at room temperature for several months, but homemade garlic oil is. Risky Unless kept refrigerated, it can become infected with botulism..
There’s only one way to make better use of your fridge space and avoid rotten nuts, stale oats, and moldy jelly: think beyond the fridge vs. pantry dichotomy. Specifically, think about how long you plan to store your food and where you plan to store it. This isn’t always easy. Buy in bulk at Costco and you’ll get a 5-pound bag of walnuts and a gallon of mayonnaise. In a humid pantry, food can easily be left out or forgotten for months, or even years. Still, if you end up using up a bottle of ketchup in a week at a summer barbecue, you can leave it on the counter. Got hooked on walnuts when they went on sale? Freeze some for your future self.
Shaich said the science of food preservation was widely known a few generations ago, because it was taught in American schools. Now we’re on our own. We probably can’t understand all of its complexities, but even a little more understanding can be beneficial. I felt horrified when I ignored the recommendation to put an opened jar of capers in the fridge, not just because I felt like I’d broken an imperfect rule, but because it freed up some space in my fridge.
