4 ms·

To flip this on its head, just because something is new doesn't mean we have to use it all the time. Americans refrigerate more than we need to. Butter, eggs,

by lj3 10y ago

To flip this on its head, just because something is new doesn't mean we have to use it all the time. Americans refrigerate more than we need to. Butter, eggs, certain vegetables (like tomatoes). Tomatoes have healthy compounds in them that break down under refrigeration. I'm sure you've noticed certain things taste different after they've been refrigerated? In this particular arena, we often don't know what we don't know. Instinct can lead us astray, but it can also be nagging at us for a very good reason.

paganel 10y ago
Tomatoes that are eaten as they have just been taken out of the refrigerator certainly taste different, at least for me. Just had a recent contradictory discussion with my gf about this, as I choose to always keep the vegetables out of the refrigerator. The same goes for fruits. Butter is different, if you keep it for more than an hour at room temperature (20-21 Celsius) it will most certainly start to melt, I personally do not like that.
- simonsarris 10y ago
  > Butter is different, if you keep it for more than an hour at room temperature (20-21 Celsius) it will most certainly start to melt It will not. It remains on my kitchen counter in a ceramic or glass container and keeps its shape. Lots of people do this, look up "butter bell" or "butter keeper" For example: http://goo.gl/fLIotj http://goo.gl/fLIotj Butter melts above 32 C.
- lj3 10y ago
  The melting point of butter is 90-95°F (32-35°C)[0]. My family always kept it out on the counter, even in the summer. It never gets that hot inside thanks to the insulation required to keep the house warm in the winter. I agree with you about the Tomatoes though. That one is backed by science, but what else is impacted by refrigeration that hasn't been discovered by science yet? There's no danger in leaving produce on the counter so long as you eat it within 2-3 days. It varies, of course. I keep bananas on the counter for a full week. [0]: http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/oil-melting-points-d_1088.html http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/oil-melting-points-d_1088....
- maxerickson 10y ago
  Different vegetables respond differently to refrigeration. Few people refrigerate tomatoes or avocados. Almost everyone refrigerates lettuce.
- ska 10y ago
  "Butter is different, if you keep it for more than an hour at room temperature (20-21 Celsius) it will most certainly start to melt, I personally do not like that." That's what butter keepers are for.
DougWebb 10y ago
I read (on here) about eggs not too long ago. In Europe (UK?) where eggs are not refrigerated, farmers are required to give their chickens antibiotics to reduce salmonella in the eggs. That's why it's safe to keep them on the counter. In the US there's less antibiotics use in the chickens; instead the eggs are washed and kept cold. I was surprised that the antibiotics are mandated in Europe, given the problems we're seeing with antibiotic-resistance in bacteria that's largely due to overuse in farming. I would've expected that the US farmers were using antibiotics and Europeans were not, rather than the other way around.
- lj3 10y ago
  Where are you getting your information? As far as I know, the EU has banned most antibiotics for livestock since 2006. I don't know about the UK. A little bit of n=1: I eat eggs directly from the local Mennonite community. They don't use antibiotics in their chickens. I keep the eggs in a bucket in the pantry (cool, but not refrigerated). I wash my eggs before using them. I haven't had an issue with Salmonella yet. I imagine there's a very big difference between free range, naturally raised chickens and eggs and factory farmed chicken and eggs, but I'm not up to date on the details.
  - dpark 10y ago
    In the UK chickens are vaccinated against salmonella. My understanding is that this is not legally mandated but a compromise by the egg industry to avoid regulation after some major salmonella outbreak a few decades ago. Mandating antibiotic use would be a great way to breed resistant salmonella.
- mrob 10y ago
  In the UK, farmers are not required to give antibiotics to reduce salmonella. However, most buyers require "Lion Mark" certified eggs, which requires vaccination (not antibiotics!) against salmonella. Because of this program British eggs are widely considered the safest in the world. I will happily eat Lion Mark eggs raw. I'm surprised that free market enthusiasts rarely talk about the Lion Mark, because it's great example of entirely private business (except for the government trademark enforcement) improving standards for consumers. See: https://www.egginfo.co.uk/british-lion-eggs/about/british-lion-code-practice https://www.egginfo.co.uk/british-lion-eggs/about/british-li...
dpark 10y ago
> Tomatoes have healthy compounds in them that break down under refrigeration. Such as? It's true that refrigeration can impact the taste/texture of tomatoes. That doesn't mean it necessarily makes them less healthy. Also, if you're buying store-bought tomatoes, they're shipped in refrigerated trucks anyway. Depending on how long you have tomatoes on hand, you might be better off refrigerating them even for taste and texture. http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/09/why-you-should-refrigerate-tomatoes.html http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/09/why-you-should-refrigerat...

by lj3 10y ago

paganel 10y ago

Tomatoes that are eaten as they have just been taken out of the refrigerator certainly taste different, at least for me. Just had a recent contradictory discussion with my gf about this, as I choose to always keep the vegetables out of the refrigerator. The same goes for fruits. Butter is different, if you keep it for more than an hour at room temperature (20-21 Celsius) it will most certainly start to melt, I personally do not like that.

simonsarris 10y ago
> Butter is different, if you keep it for more than an hour at room temperature (20-21 Celsius) it will most certainly start to melt It will not. It remains on my kitchen counter in a ceramic or glass container and keeps its shape. Lots of people do this, look up "butter bell" or "butter keeper" For example: http://goo.gl/fLIotj http://goo.gl/fLIotj Butter melts above 32 C.
lj3 10y ago
The melting point of butter is 90-95°F (32-35°C)[0]. My family always kept it out on the counter, even in the summer. It never gets that hot inside thanks to the insulation required to keep the house warm in the winter. I agree with you about the Tomatoes though. That one is backed by science, but what else is impacted by refrigeration that hasn't been discovered by science yet? There's no danger in leaving produce on the counter so long as you eat it within 2-3 days. It varies, of course. I keep bananas on the counter for a full week. [0]: http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/oil-melting-points-d_1088.html http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/oil-melting-points-d_1088....
maxerickson 10y ago
Different vegetables respond differently to refrigeration. Few people refrigerate tomatoes or avocados. Almost everyone refrigerates lettuce.
ska 10y ago
"Butter is different, if you keep it for more than an hour at room temperature (20-21 Celsius) it will most certainly start to melt, I personally do not like that." That's what butter keepers are for.

DougWebb 10y ago

I read (on here) about eggs not too long ago. In Europe (UK?) where eggs are not refrigerated, farmers are required to give their chickens antibiotics to reduce salmonella in the eggs. That's why it's safe to keep them on the counter. In the US there's less antibiotics use in the chickens; instead the eggs are washed and kept cold. I was surprised that the antibiotics are mandated in Europe, given the problems we're seeing with antibiotic-resistance in bacteria that's largely due to overuse in farming. I would've expected that the US farmers were using antibiotics and Europeans were not, rather than the other way around.

lj3 10y ago
Where are you getting your information? As far as I know, the EU has banned most antibiotics for livestock since 2006. I don't know about the UK. A little bit of n=1: I eat eggs directly from the local Mennonite community. They don't use antibiotics in their chickens. I keep the eggs in a bucket in the pantry (cool, but not refrigerated). I wash my eggs before using them. I haven't had an issue with Salmonella yet. I imagine there's a very big difference between free range, naturally raised chickens and eggs and factory farmed chicken and eggs, but I'm not up to date on the details.
- dpark 10y ago
  In the UK chickens are vaccinated against salmonella. My understanding is that this is not legally mandated but a compromise by the egg industry to avoid regulation after some major salmonella outbreak a few decades ago. Mandating antibiotic use would be a great way to breed resistant salmonella.
mrob 10y ago
In the UK, farmers are not required to give antibiotics to reduce salmonella. However, most buyers require "Lion Mark" certified eggs, which requires vaccination (not antibiotics!) against salmonella. Because of this program British eggs are widely considered the safest in the world. I will happily eat Lion Mark eggs raw. I'm surprised that free market enthusiasts rarely talk about the Lion Mark, because it's great example of entirely private business (except for the government trademark enforcement) improving standards for consumers. See: https://www.egginfo.co.uk/british-lion-eggs/about/british-lion-code-practice https://www.egginfo.co.uk/british-lion-eggs/about/british-li...

dpark 10y ago

> Tomatoes have healthy compounds in them that break down under refrigeration. Such as? It's true that refrigeration can impact the taste/texture of tomatoes. That doesn't mean it necessarily makes them less healthy. Also, if you're buying store-bought tomatoes, they're shipped in refrigerated trucks anyway. Depending on how long you have tomatoes on hand, you might be better off refrigerating them even for taste and texture. http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/09/why-you-should-refrigerate-tomatoes.html http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/09/why-you-should-refrigerat...