Pears are unique because they ripen from the inside out. This means a pear will feel hard to the touch until it is completely ripe. At that point, you can tell it’s ready when the outer flesh of the skin starts to give. If pears are left in the fridge during the ripening process, they turn mushy and yucky inside.
Pears should definitely be allowed to stay on the counter so the natural ripening process can occur. Once ripe, however, they can quickly become mushy, so sticking them in the fridge is a good way to keep them in their ripened state longer. Eat pears at room temp when they are sweetest and juiciest.
Spare the Peanut Butter
Any brand of processed peanut butter can stay in the pantry. Keeping it on the shelf makes it convenient to use and easy to spread. Putting it in the fridge will harden the nutty spread and make it prone to drying out. Natural peanut butter lacks hydrogenated oils and preservatives that allow pantry storage.
So if you like to buy that type of peanut butter, you might need to keep the jar in the refrigerator. If you know it’s going to be months before you finish off a jar of processed peanut butter; you can stick it in the fridge to make it last longer.
It’s Not a Good Idea to Keep Onions In the Fridge
Some foods go bad when exposed to air, but other foods, like onions, depend on a well-ventilated environment. Keeping whole onions in the refrigerator introduces moisture, and, as an absorptive vegetable, the added moisture somehow gets trapped inside and causes the onion to get mushy inside, making it more susceptible to spoiling.
To get the longest shelf life out of onions, store them in a cool, dark place like the pantry. After onions have been chopped or peeled then it's advisable that you store it in an airtight container, on the other hand, they last at least two weeks in the fridge.
The Sweetest Thing
Strawberries are not only one of the sweetest fruits and most popular fruits, but they're also well-known for having the fewest calories. A strawberry is a beautiful, scrumptious berry that deserves to be treated with care. They taste best at room temperature and should be devoured within days of purchase.
Stuck in the fridge, the berry is sapped for sweetness. On the other hand, once ripeness peaks, you can save them from rotting away by keeping them in the fridge. It’s best to wash and dry the fruit thoroughly before refrigerating. Wrapping a paper towel around them in the fridge also helps preserve the berries.
Leave Out The Jams
It seems colorful jars of jams and jellies are just what our taste buds need when making our favorite PB&J sandwich. But don’t be afraid to leave jars of jam on the counter or in the pantry, even after they are opened. Lacking enough water content to support bacteria, fruit preservatives won’t spoil.
Preserved foods like jellies and jams are made to last, so they're just as safe on the shelf as they are in the fridge. Jams also have a low pH level, which means it has a high-acid solution that also prevents spoilage. Storing them in the fridge won't ruin them; there really is no need to do so.