Bananas, ham, chocolate, pasta, and other foods should not be stored in the refrigerator.
Summer has arrived, and in order to keep food fresh, people often put it in the refrigerator as soon as they get home. But did you know that the refrigerator is not a "universal preserver"? Some foods, when placed in the refrigerator, will actually "age" prematurely.
Generally speaking, the coldest part of a double-door refrigerator is the freezer, at -18°C, and the warmest part is the drawer in the lower part of the refrigerator, at 7°C, while the refrigerator's temperature is between 1°C and 7°C. Regarding the preservation of food in the summer, Professor Sun Ying, Vice Chairman of the Chinese Institute of Food Science and Technology and a food safety expert, has offered the following advice. Foods to be left out for a day before refrigerating:
Vegetables and fruits such as cabbage, spinach, celery, carrots, peaches, grapes, and apples are suitable for storage at 0°C. However, it is best not to put these fruits and vegetables in the refrigerator immediately after purchase, because the low temperature will inhibit the enzymatic activities of the produce, preventing residual toxins from breaking down. Therefore, it is best to store these fruits and vegetables at room temperature for a day before placing them in the refrigerator. Foods not suitable for long-term storage in the refrigerator:
Fruits and vegetables with high water content or tropical fruits, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, and lychees, are best stored in the refrigerator's drawers and should not be kept for long. Due to their high water content, these fruits and vegetables will turn black, become soft, and lose their flavor after being refrigerated for a long time. Foods to be stored at room temperature:
The suitable storage temperature for bananas, lemons, pumpkins, etc., is 13°C to 15°C. Low-temperature storage can easily cause them to turn black and rot. Ham is also not suitable for refrigeration, as it will cause the fat to separate, leading the ham to become clumpy or loose. Chocolate can easily form a white film on its surface after being refrigerated, thus losing its original flavor. Bread and other pasta products are also not suitable for storage in the refrigerator, as it will cause the linear parts of the amylopectin in them to slowly associate, causing them to gradually harden and become "stale."
For watermelon, the most common fruit in the summer, Professor Sun Ying stated that many people are accustomed to refrigerating it after cutting it open. In fact, after being refrigerated for a long time, a layer of film will form on the surface of the watermelon flesh, which will impair its texture. The water inside can also easily form ice crystals, which may irritate the throat or cause toothache and other adverse reactions after consumption. In addition, eating very cold watermelon can also damage the spleen and stomach, leading to indigestion, loss of appetite, and other ailments. Therefore, it is best to eat watermelon immediately after buying it. If it is still warm when you get it home, you might consider raising the refrigerator temperature before refrigerating it; its flavor is best within two hours of refrigeration.