5 ms·

Is there anything about potatoes that makes it obvious that a fridge is not required?

by marci 6y ago

asdff 6y ago
The fact you can leave a potato out for two weeks and its fine to use?
- marci 6y ago
  IF you don't have prior knowledge, you then have to either forget to store them in the fridge or make the experiment. And personally, I've had things go bad, and most of the times I just think "I'll try to eat that sooner next time", without really thinking hard about how long I had it.
Symbiote 6y ago
Supermarkets don't keep them in fridges.
- marci 6y ago
  In many countries supermarkets don't keep eggs in a fridge, whereas in others they do. Apples can be kept for months in a fridge. Salads don't last long outside of one. Supermarkets don't keep them in fridges (unless they've been processed).
  - phonypc 6y ago
    In those countries where supermarkets don't refrigerate eggs, they don't need to be refrigerated at home either. Apples can be kept for months outside a fridge. Depending on season and variety, they might be 6 months old before they even get to your supermarket.
    - marci 6y ago
      Only in places where you have cold seasons, and only during those, unless you have a cellar/basement, or something that can work as a proxy for one, but then you need knowledge about what's best stored where anyway.
    - kebman 6y ago
      Eggs are usually refrigerated in Norwegian supermarkets. I usually keep them in the fridge at home too, but they usually keep a couple of months past the expiry date. When in doubt I just try the water trick before I fry it. I'm sure it would be safe to keep them in the pantry too, but we don't eat eggs that often, so I just put it in the fridge.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
8fGTBjZxBcHq 6y ago
Not in themselves. All of the tubers in culinary use in the west are stable for storage in the dark for months but if you don't have that cultural knowledge then you'd need someone to tell you not to put potatoes in the fridge I guess.
omginternets 6y ago
It’s clearly not obvious unless you’ve been told, but the point is that people have grown strangely disconnected from food in a “bacon comes from plastic sachets” sort of way.
adrianmonk 6y ago
The product packaging, if you buy them by the bag (instead of bulk). Here's an example from Sam's Club web site: https://scene7.samsclub.com/is/image/samsclub/0003338353070_B?$DT_Zoom$ https://scene7.samsclub.com/is/image/samsclub/0003338353070_... At the bottom right, it says, "Store potatoes in a cool, dark, well-ventilated place."
tharkun__ 6y ago
I would say that this is one of those things that gets passed on from generation to generation, but for some reason, much of the western world is forgetting about it. One reason might very well be urbanization. When I was a child, my parents would buy "cellar potatoes" at the home improvement's garden center every fall. Large sacks filled to the brim with potatoes, which we'd put into a special storage/dispenser combo (basically wooden lattice box, with an opening on the front bottom to remove potatoes over the winter/spring - gravity fed by the potatoes stored on top). That was in the corner of the basement and the sides and top of that contraption were blocking the light by being lined/covered with newspaper. That's how I learned that potatoes should be stored like that, because I was helping out with it all. First, as a small child, I was only allowed to put the newspaper and to cut the sacks and would "throw" some potatoes in. That's how I learned that potatoes shouldn't be bumped around too much and my parents would take those and the ones I hit with it out, so that it wouldn't spoil the whole thing. Of course potatoes can be bumped around quite a bit more than say bananas, but not too much either. Later I'd help carry the sacks etc. That's how it's "obvious" like so many other things you don't learn in school. This requires both this tradition existing in the first place though as well as the space to do it. We had a house with a basement. Many people don't, especially inner city dwellers.

Is there anything about potatoes that makes it obvious that a fridge is not required?

by marci 6y ago

Is there anything about potatoes that makes it obvious that a fridge is not required?

asdff 6y ago

The fact you can leave a potato out for two weeks and its fine to use?

marci 6y ago
IF you don't have prior knowledge, you then have to either forget to store them in the fridge or make the experiment. And personally, I've had things go bad, and most of the times I just think "I'll try to eat that sooner next time", without really thinking hard about how long I had it.

Symbiote 6y ago

Supermarkets don't keep them in fridges.

marci 6y ago
In many countries supermarkets don't keep eggs in a fridge, whereas in others they do. Apples can be kept for months in a fridge. Salads don't last long outside of one. Supermarkets don't keep them in fridges (unless they've been processed).
- phonypc 6y ago
  In those countries where supermarkets don't refrigerate eggs, they don't need to be refrigerated at home either. Apples can be kept for months outside a fridge. Depending on season and variety, they might be 6 months old before they even get to your supermarket.
  - marci 6y ago
    Only in places where you have cold seasons, and only during those, unless you have a cellar/basement, or something that can work as a proxy for one, but then you need knowledge about what's best stored where anyway.
  - kebman 6y ago
    Eggs are usually refrigerated in Norwegian supermarkets. I usually keep them in the fridge at home too, but they usually keep a couple of months past the expiry date. When in doubt I just try the water trick before I fry it. I'm sure it would be safe to keep them in the pantry too, but we don't eat eggs that often, so I just put it in the fridge.
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]

8fGTBjZxBcHq 6y ago

Not in themselves. All of the tubers in culinary use in the west are stable for storage in the dark for months but if you don't have that cultural knowledge then you'd need someone to tell you not to put potatoes in the fridge I guess.

omginternets 6y ago

It’s clearly not obvious unless you’ve been told, but the point is that people have grown strangely disconnected from food in a “bacon comes from plastic sachets” sort of way.

adrianmonk 6y ago

The product packaging, if you buy them by the bag (instead of bulk). Here's an example from Sam's Club web site: https://scene7.samsclub.com/is/image/samsclub/0003338353070_B?$DT_Zoom$ https://scene7.samsclub.com/is/image/samsclub/0003338353070_... At the bottom right, it says, "Store potatoes in a cool, dark, well-ventilated place."

tharkun__ 6y ago

I would say that this is one of those things that gets passed on from generation to generation, but for some reason, much of the western world is forgetting about it. One reason might very well be urbanization. When I was a child, my parents would buy "cellar potatoes" at the home improvement's garden center every fall. Large sacks filled to the brim with potatoes, which we'd put into a special storage/dispenser combo (basically wooden lattice box, with an opening on the front bottom to remove potatoes over the winter/spring - gravity fed by the potatoes stored on top). That was in the corner of the basement and the sides and top of that contraption were blocking the light by being lined/covered with newspaper. That's how I learned that potatoes should be stored like that, because I was helping out with it all. First, as a small child, I was only allowed to put the newspaper and to cut the sacks and would "throw" some potatoes in. That's how I learned that potatoes shouldn't be bumped around too much and my parents would take those and the ones I hit with it out, so that it wouldn't spoil the whole thing. Of course potatoes can be bumped around quite a bit more than say bananas, but not too much either. Later I'd help carry the sacks etc. That's how it's "obvious" like so many other things you don't learn in school. This requires both this tradition existing in the first place though as well as the space to do it. We had a house with a basement. Many people don't, especially inner city dwellers.