10 Common Foods You've Been Storing All Wrong

We’re all busy people and rely on old customs and habits to make the best of our time. Think about it: we always do the same things; we buy the same stuff and eat quite similarly. Good habits are great, but bad ones are hard to break.

We do many things automatically and we don’t give them a second thought, like storing food. We don’t even know we’re storing it incorrectly. At the end of the day, that’s how we’ve always done it. Well, not anymore.

Here are 10 foods that you’re probably storing wrong and changing the way you keep these might be the perfect first step to begin changing other bad habits in your life.

#10 – Milk, why does it spoil so fast?

We bet you’re doing this one wrong because we were too before knowing this! We often put our milk on the fridge door, right? It seems they build the narrow spaces for it, but there’s a catch. Milk is very delicate, and although it doesn’t look like it, it’s prone to spoilage in the wrong storage conditions.

Things stored on the fridge door get exposed to room temperatures several times a day, which means they’re never in the “safe zone.” And that’s why your milk goes bad so fast.

If unopened, the best place to store pasteurized milk is outside the fridge, but once opened, you want to save it in the back part of your fridge, where temperatures are cooler and more stable.

#9 – Eggs, to fridge or not to fridge?

This one is tricky. If you live in the States, eggs have been washed before hitting the stores, so they’re now susceptible to spoilage. You must keep them in the fridge (but not on the door!) If you live elsewhere, chances are eggs haven’t been washed, and you can store them over the counter.

Be careful, either way, you must never store them in their original carton, since that’s where most harmful bacteria live. Remove them from the carton and store them in a fresh space far from direct sunlight.

#8 – Garlic: keep ’em where you can see ’em.

We’re used to throwing all our fruits and veggies in the fridge’s bottom drawer, but that’s one of the worst things you can do. Nothing should go in there, really.

You should store garlic on your pantry in a well-ventilated place at room temperature, it won’t spoil, and it’s a lovely ornament for your kitchen. The fridge is a humid place that will ruin your garlic while outside, it will live indefinitely.

Professional chefs say that garlic gets even more flavorful as it slowly loses moisture.

#7 – Tomatoes, no more mushy tomatoes for you.

Tomatoes get mushy and dull in the fridge; they just don’t like the cold. Stored at room temperature will allow them to stay colorful and flavorful for longer, and they’ll even mature a bit more for the perfect ripeness. Tomatoes are more often than not sold under-ripe. If it’s been a while since you’ve tried a firm, sweet tomato is because you’ve been storing them wrong.

#6 – Bread, good things don’t last.

Bread kind of likes extremes, either you store at room temperature or you freeze it, but never store it in your fridge. It will not only go stale faster; it might absorb foul aromas from other stuff inside the refrigerator. Artisanal bread might only last a few days, but industrialized products will (oddly) last a week or two. It’s better to buy fresh bread more often and keep it in sight.

#5 – Aromatic herbs, bright green, and fragrant for longer.

Storing herbs correctly requires skill. You must first rinse them in cold water and pat them dry. Now cover them in paper towels and a plastic wrap. Now they’re ready to go into the fridge, they’ll last at least three times longer than tossed herbs in the bottom pantry. They’ll keep their bright green color for longer too.

#4 – Potatoes, delicious but also dangerous.

Leave your potatoes in the fridge unattended, and they’ll grow roots. And be careful now, they can be toxic. You should store potatoes at room temperature where they can last for months! The starchy root vegetable is one of the most resistant foods, and they only get better and more intense over time.

#3 – Bananas, from unripe to overripe before your eyes

Bananas are moody, one day they’re under-ripe, and the next day they’re past their prime. Keeping bananas in the fridge will stop their maturation process, and they might never recover from the cold shock.

Storing them in the open is much better, but they’ll ripen fast, especially during warm summer days. It’s your call, but an overripe banana will only be sweeter and mushier, but an unripe banana is almost inedible.

#2 – Raw meat; keep an eye in cross-contamination.

This applies to all raw meats: minced meat, fish, and chicken. Store them in the bottom layer and never on top of cooked food or food that’s you’ll eat as is. Meat drips, whether or not we like it, and you’ll be in serious trouble if some of that meat juice ends up falling over your chocolate cake.

#1 – Nuts, stock them well.

Nuts will never go bad; they’re dry and sturdy. They’ll lose flavor intensity, though, especially if you store them in a dark cabinet for long. The best way to store nuts for optimal flavor is by putting them in an air-tight container in the fridge, they’ll taste as fresh as the first day.