One of the great advances of the last century has been the development of the home fridge, an appliance which enables food to be kept fresher for longer. However, while it has been a major advancement in food preservation, there are certain guidelines people would do well to follow when it comes to arranging their fridges.
Expert Advice on Potato Storage
In some cases there are certain combinations of food that should be kept away from each other or it could have an impact on their shelf life. With this in mind, some experts have been commenting on whether you should keep certain produce in the fridge, like potatoes, and how you should store them.
Speaking to the Guardian, Kate Hall, a home food waste expert and author, recommended keeping potatoes away from onions as more people put them in the fridge to keep them cool and prevent them from sprouting. She added: “Keeping them in a cool, dark cupboard is fine. It’s recommended that you keep them away from onions.”
The reason for this is because the ethylene gas given off by onions can speed up the rate at which potatoes sprout, therefore reducing the amount of time they can be stored for.
Tesco's Storage Tips
However, Kate Hall isn’t the only person to give guidance on how to store potatoes with Tesco also throwing their hat into the ring. The supermarket experts said that the first thing someone should do is to pull them out of the plastic bag and then sticking them in a cool place away from other fruits and vegetables.
Tesco explained: “When a potato sprouts, the tubers start to regrow and the potatoes start to lose their flavour – bad news if you’re hoping to make them the centrepiece of your next dinner party. But how can you keep your potatoes from sprouting? By following a few simple steps, you can keep your potatoes nearly as fresh as the day you bought them, for up to six months.
“So, if you want your spuds to stay in tip-top condition, we recommend popping them in a paper bag and stashing them away in a dark place of your choosing: a porch cupboard or garden shed are all great options, and there’s always the fridge (if you’ve got the space).”
Other Foods to Avoid in the Fridge
While there are some things one can stick in the fridge, there are other staples that you shouldn’t, most pertinently coffee. Also speaking to the Guardian, head of coffee at Craft House Coffee Hannah Whitton said it was “a unanimous no”. She added: “Coffee beans are highly porous, meaning they absorb food odours. The constant temperature shifts from taking coffee in and out of the fridge create condensation that rapidly destroys delicate flavours as the coffee absorbs moisture.”
