6 Foods You Shouldn't Keep in the Fridge l Foods That Will Spoil l Tips to Keep Food Fresh

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Are you guilty of treating the refrigerator as a safe place for all your foods? While the refrigerator is a necessity to keep foods from spoiling, we tend to misuse this vital tool in the kitchen. We are all guilty of doing this because we believe the fridge won't harm our precious foods, right? However, some foods don't take too kindly to the temperatures of the fridge and it could ruin the taste of the products and make them spoil quicker. This is like throwing money out the door! The estimated cost of food and beverages wasted by the average American family each year is around $1,600. The story becomes even grimmer, cnbc.com reported. "Americans waste a staggering $165 billion worth of food every year. The best bet for consumers is to use your own judgment about whether the food in your fridge is good." Adding a price tag really puts things into perspective! Here are 6 foods you shouldn’t put into the fridge.

Tomatoes

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Volatiles are responsible for making a tomato taste like a tomato, and while there are several hundred of them in this fruit, only 15-20 actually impact our perception of its flavor the University of Florida, Klee Lab Research found. However, storing tomatoes in the fridge can create a drastic loss in volatiles. After 30 days in the fridge, the concentration of volatiles decreased by 66 percent. "Storing tomatoes at fridge temperature, even for short durations, was detrimental for their aroma." The cold temperature also starts manipulating the character of the tomatoes and they become pulpy and mildewed. The best bet is to keep tomatoes on the counter or in a paper bag in a dry place.

Herbs

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Herbs are expensive and they spoil really quickly it seems no matter what you do. However, if you want to destroy them quicker, adding them to the fridge is a fast death sentence. Herbs like cilantro, basil, tarragon, chives, mint and oregano can start growing mold on their leaves when exposed to moisture. They will also become damaged or bruised from the exposure to the light and to air if they are not covered. Seriouseats.com recommended that you store the herbs like flowers with water and to keep the tops of "Herbs tightly covered by placing an overturned zipper-lock bag over them and sealing it against the base of the jar was also an essential step in keeping them fresh."