10 Unexpected Foods You Should NEVER Store In Your Pantry
While some grocery items are very obvious where they should be stored, others may be a bit deceiving. Storing meats and greens in the fridge is a no-brainer, as well as flour and cereals in the pantry. However, what about all those foods that seem to have no place in your home? The ones you take out of the shopping bag only to ponder whether they are better suited for the fridge or pantry? To help make the grocery unpacking process go along easier, as well as to help you avoid food spoilage and food poisoning, we’ve put together a list of foods you should never store in your pantry. Let’s check it out.
Some grocery items are very obvious where they should be stored, others may not
Foods You Should Never Store In Your Pantry
Sometimes you just don’t notice the fine print that says to keep the product stored in the fridge after opening (even though there are some items you should keep out of the fridge as well). Or you just assumed this item’s place is in the pantry and never questioned its place further. You’d be surprised to found out how many of your item’s in the pantry right now should be elsewhere. So, let’s see what you may need to move into the fridge.
Sometimes you don’t notice the fine print that says to keep the product stored in the fridge
#Tomato Sauce
We often assume that tomato sauce in cans and in jars are a pantry item. However, once that lid is cracked even a tiny bit, it’s time to move it into the fridge. While before it would have been okay to keep store-bought sauces in the pantry, today’s products have gotten a lot healthier, which means that there are a lot less preservatives. Consequently, while this is better for our health, it does make them more perishable. So, don’t forget to store them in the fridge immediately after they are opened.
We often assume that tomato sauce in cans and in jars are a pantry item
#Maple Syrup
It’s important to keep in mind that there are two types of maple syrup. Most store-bought maple syrups have corn syrup in them. This makes them fine to store in your pantry up to 18 months, as long as it stays tightly sealed after each use. Pure maple syrup on the over hand, is quite the opposite.
Most store-bought maple syrups have corn syrup in them
#Dijon Mustard
Okay, truth be told, the mustard won’t spoil if you keep it in the pantry (or at least, it won’t spoil fast). However, if you keep it in the fridge you remove the risk of your delicious Dijon mustard losing its flavor. And it will spoil much slower. You can keep open mustard up to 18 months in the fridge. The same can’t be said about it when it’s in the pantry.
Keeping it in the fridge removes the risk of your delicious Dijon mustard losing its flavor
@Cotter Crunch
#Jams
Much like the tomato/pasta sauces, jams can last quite a while in your pantry, especially if it’s homemade and sealed correctly at home. However, no matter who made, how it was sealed and what type of jam it is, once it’s open it belongs in the fridge. Even if you prefer them at room temperature, it’s better to not take the risk of getting sick.
Jams can last quite a while in your pantry when sealed
#Coconut Oil
Like pretty much oils in nuts and nut butters, coconut oil will spoil if left in the pantry for too long at room temperature. Even if this oil is still quite sturdy, it will need refrigeration sooner rather than later. So, take it out of the cupboard and place it in the fridge.
Coconut oil will spoil if left in the pantry for too long
#Salami/Cured Meats
While it’s a no-brainer that raw meats like beef and chicken should be kept in the fridge or freezer, we often forget that cured meats should stay there as well. Even if it says “shelf-stable” on these meats packaging, it’s best to refrigerate them. This will ensure they don’t dry out, the texture and flavor are preserved and most importantly, there will be no bacteria growth.
Even if it says “shelf-stable” on these meats packaging, it’s best to refrigerate them
#Nuts
When you store nuts in the pantry, it’s very likely they will stale and even grow mold. And let’s not forget about the fact that if you like to reach for them from time to time and rummage through the packet with your hands, this increase the chance of bacteria growth. It’s best to not risk it, so make sure to keep the nuts in the fridge or refrigerator or at least in an airtight container.
Nuts should not be kept in the pantry
#Bread
Bread is among the most common items kept in the pantry. But you may be surprised to find out, that isn’t it’s ideal storing bread. There are better ways to store your bread in order for it to last longer and stay fresher for longer. The best of them include keeping it in a bread box or the freezer. Yep, that’s right – the freezer. Next time you get a fresh loaf, maybe keep it away from the pantry.
Bread is among the most common items kept in the pantry
#Bananas
Well, this one may come as a surprise. While there is nothing wrong with keeping bananas in the pantry or the counter top, it does cause them to ripen faster and can attract fruit flies. If you’ve bought green bananas, you can leave them out until they have reached peak ripeness, but after that they are best kept in the fridge. Even though brown bananas are perfectly safe to eat, many people do not prefer them. If you are one of these people, you can keep your bananas fresh by storing them in the cold fridge.
If you’ve bought green bananas, you can leave them out until they have reached peak ripeness
#Opened Wine
If you’ve gotten a nice bottle of wine, and you finally decided to open it, the last thing you want to do is let it go to waste. So, instead of just closing it up and leaving it on the counter or the pantry, make up some room and put it in the fridge. Wine perishes quickly once it’s opened, so make sure to enjoy it thoroughly. This goes especially for red wine.
Once opened, its place is in the fridge
These were some foods you should never store in your pantry. We hope you found this article useful. Now you know which foods should stay in the fridge, and you’ll be able to enjoy your food for longer and not worry about it going bad or giving you food poisoning.
These were some foods you should never store in your pantry
Sources:
- Reader’s Digest ©
- Eating Well ©
- Bob Vila ©
- Eat This, Not That! ©
- Food and Wine ©
