7 things you better store in the fridge
Say wine, snacks or haute cuisine and the gourmands at online food magazine FavorFlav know where to drink, how to eat it and what to cook. This time our cheffies serve you: 7 things you should better keep in the fridge.
Are green circles appearing at record speed on your fresh tortillas? Is the ketchup developing weird crusts and has your lemon turned into a hard, wrinkled lump? You should have kept them in the fridge. Wait, what? Yes, you didn't know this yet, but these seven things are best kept in the fridge.
Nuts and seeds
At the back of a kitchen drawer, in a little crate that you pull out when you feel like granola or when you're baking, walnuts, pine nuts, and pistachios are crumbling away. At room temperature, they lose their flavor, can go rancid, or dry out to a fossil from the Mesozoic era. You don't want that, so from now on, keep them in the fridge. In a freezer container you slide them next to the yogurt and mayo. In the freezer, they stay good even longer, at least a year, so if you've stocked up heavily once, that's a practical plan B.
Tortillas
You might think those soft corn tortillas will last forever, but soon you'll find out that's a misconception. Before you know it, there are green-blue circles on those tasty little things, especially if you've opened the packaging. Put them in a sturdy airtight bag and place them with the vegetables. This way, you can definitely keep them for a week, maybe even longer. If you don't know when you'll use them, put them in the freezer. You don't have to, you can also make these delicious tacos this afternoon.
Dates and dried fruit
Apricots, raisins, prunes, figs, dates, and other dried fruits can be stored for a long time, even longer if you put them in the fridge. Those dates are best when they're sweet but still a bit juicy inside, right? In a container and in the fridge, they stay nice and soft and sweet.
Sauces
Mustard, mayonnaise, ketchup, maple syrup, and horseradish are best kept in the fridge, but chili sauce, soy sauce, and fish sauce are not. Of course, ketchup or mustard can last outside the fridge for a while, because they are also just sitting on the table at the snack bar, but they can spoil faster than you think, and you probably don't use them every day. In a fridge, a bottle of ketchup can definitely last six months.
Ripe fruit
Are the bananas getting a bit too ripe? Then place them in the vegetable drawer of the fridge, so they won't ripen further. Brown bananas are perfect for banana bread (try this vegan variant once!), but eating one after exercising isn't so nice when it's such a soft brown banana. The same goes for avocados: if they're perfectly ripe but you're not ready for the perfect guacamole, then place them in the vegetable drawer. And don't put them next to the bananas, because then they'll still ripen very quickly.
Citrus fruit
Are you going to use all those oranges for juicing this week? And the new lemons, how long are you going to use those? If it's longer than a week, put them in the fridge. This way, you prevent them from drying out and losing their sour taste, which is just so nice. Lemons in the fridge stay good for at least three months, and the same goes for other citrus fruits. You can enjoy the perfect mandarins for months.
Bread
Do you want to keep your fresh bread fresh longer? In the fridge, it actually goes stale faster, but in the freezer, it does just fine. Handy, because you can take out the slices you want to eat later, and the rest stays calmly in the freezer sitting.
