There is no reason to refrigerate vinaigrette salad dressing. Refrigeration causes it to congeal and thicken, making it inconvenient to use. If you don’t remember to take it out of the fridge before your serve dinner, it’s a blob of unusable gel. Besides that, dressing tastes better at room temp.
Ingredients like vinegar work as a great preservative; however, one thing to consider is that the shelf life of vinaigrette is shortened significantly by ingredients like garlic and lemon juice. It gives your dressing a tangy zip, but it will only last a few days, whether refrigerated or left out.
Keep Your Dried Spices Dry
Storing dried herbs and spices in the refrigerator is not a great idea. The cold, damp air of the fridge is only going to cause mold to grow. Taking the spices in and out of the fridge for use shortens the shelf life by putting extra stress on the leaves.
Light, moisture, and air are natural enemies of dry leaves and spices. However, some seeds like poppy or sesame can be stored in the fridge, and may even prefer it. Red powder spices like cayenne and paprika also do better in the fridge, which helps them hold onto their vibrant colors.
Should You Refrigerate Potatoes?
If you want your potatoes to last a long time, you can store them in the fridge. However, it should be known that you are selling the soul of your spud by doing so. The cold air inside the fridge creates a chemical reaction inside the potato that proves detrimental to taste.
Starch turns to sugar, and spots, premature sprouting, and a bitter taste result. Potatoes are known for storing well, only growing sprouts after a long time. So, to make the most out of your potatoes, you can keep them in your pantry, in a cool, dark place above 50 degrees.
Treat Your Chocolate With Love
Chocolate should also be stored in a cool, dry place. The optimal storage temperature is 65 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit. Chocolate should be sealed inside a container. But, most importantly, chocolate should not be refrigerated. The cold air can cause the sugars to rise to the top and discolor it.
Which you may have seen if you've stored your Hershey's Kisses in the fridge. However, this does affect the flavor as chocolate is absorptive, and storing chocolate in the refrigerator will contaminate the candy with other flavors in the fridge. Leftover salmon or garlic chicken will not pair well with your chocolate.
Cans of Tuna Stay in The Pantry
It probably goes without saying, but there is absolutely no need to store cans of tuna in the refrigerator. Canned tuna is made to last a long time. So not only will they take up space, but they will stay past their expiration date in the pantry just as long.
Tuna fish was canned in order to preserve it without refrigeration in the first place. The only reason you'd need to keep it in the fridge is if you love eating cold tuna; who knows? Maybe it's summer, and you'd much rather have a cold tuna salad than a warm one.