6 Well-Known Health Tips (That Don’t Work At All) • 2015 Jun 30 • Cracked

Most commonly refrigerated foodstuffs wouldn’t be any worse off at room temperature, and some you’re actively damaging by storing them in the cold. For example, you might think your bread stays fresh longer in the fridge, but in reality refrigerating it sets off a thermally initiated cascade of molecular events called retrogradation, the culinary equivalent of choosing the wrong Holy Grail. At ordinary fridge temperatures (between 35 and 40 degrees), bread ages six times faster than it would on the counter, because the cold causes its starches to crystallize. That’s also why you never chill potatoes (they’re full of tasty starches, too).

As a matter of fact, unless you picked up an item from the refrigerated section to begin with, there’s a good chance you shouldn’t refrigerate it when you get home. Besides bread and potatoes, add most fruits (including tomatoes), onions, garlic, sauces, and most condiments to the “keep out” sign that you’re about to tape onto your refrigerator as if it’s your childhood tree house.

Do You Really Need to Refrigerate That? • 2014 May 12 • Chow

Seriously, Stop Refrigerating These Foods • 2014 Apr 25 • Refrigerators • reviewed.com

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