Author: Alexander Bruni
Time for reading: ~2
minutes
Last Updated:
August 08, 2022
The refrigerator retains their appearance, but kills their taste and useful composition.
Putting food in the refrigerator or freezer is a very convenient way to maintain its quality. However, it turns out that this method is effective only in cases where we plan to consume food after a short time , for example the next day. There are many foods, including fresh fruits and vegetables , that significantly deteriorate during prolonged storage in the refrigerator.
And since not every house has eternally hungry teenagers who can quickly "devastate" food, it's good to know which products we should eat as a priority so that we don't have to stay in the fridge for a long time.
Specialists who study the composition of food have identified dozens of products that lose a large part of their nutritional value after a few days in the refrigerator or freezer . Many of these products are regularly present on our table and it turns out that we are wrong to allow them to stay too long in the refrigerator.
Bananas - It has been proven that their bioactive ingredients remain in active form for a much longer time when the bananas are kept at room temperature. The long stay of the banana in the refrigerator will not only destroy some of them, but will also interrupt the ripening of the fruit, accelerating the putrefaction process.
Potatoes - It is a well-known fact that potatoes should be stored in a dark and cool place. Cool, yes, but not frosty. In conditions of low temperatures in the refrigerator and freezer, part of the starch in potatoes can be transformed into simpler sugars, which feed the growth of bacteria, which quickly damage vegetables and can lead to food poisoning after consumption.
Garlic - although in appearance it remains unchanged, after partial or complete freezing of garlic, the processes of its germination are accelerated and even kept in the refrigerator, it germinates in a short time. Its taste can be preserved, but some of its useful ingredients are deactivated.
Tomatoes - the most favorite vegetables for salads suffer in 2 main aspects when refrigerated. Low temperatures stop them from ripening, and delicious tomatoes are ripe tomatoes. In addition, at low temperatures, even the ripe tomato loses almost all its flavor .
In addition, even partial freezing leads to rupture of the membranes, retaining the integrity of the fleshy and juicy core of the tomato. Thus, after cutting, instead of retaining their fleshy consistency, the tomato pieces in our plate will float in their own juice. Many people throw it away, which deprives them of some of the nutrients in tomatoes.
Honey - there is absolutely no reason for honey to be kept in the refrigerator. This is probably naturally the most self-preserving food. Putting honey in the refrigerator will only speed up the crystallization of the sugar in it and it will become sugary very quickly.
Pumpkin - it is among the richest in beta carotene foods, and a long stay in the refrigerator neutralizes the activity of these very important antioxidants. The effect of freezing is even more negative. The same effect is observed in other foods rich in carotenoids such as carrots, spinach and others.