9. Onions and Garlic
Garlic and onions are alliums, so they fare better in an environment that’s low in humidity – and for this reason you shouldn’t store them in the refrigerator. Although the inside of your fridge might be cool, it’s also extremely humid and this encourages onions and garlic to deteriorate far faster than if they were kept out of the fridge.
If you store garlic in a fridge, it can also cause it to sprout and go off and although it’s still safe to eat sprouted garlic, the bulb will become unusable sooner. When you refrigerate onions or garlic, you’ll find they’ll go soft quicker and additionally, they can become mouldy and rancid smelling. Alliums need to be kept crisp, so store them in a cool, dry place, preferably one that’s between 45-55 F. An ideal spot would be within a cupboard that doesn’t have much moisture or light exposure.
The only time you should refrigerate onions and garlic is when they’ve already been cooked, or sliced and then you should store them directly in the fridge. The exception to this are scallions, which keep better when stored in the fridge – but the stalks first need to be placed in water then covered with plastic, as this way, they’ll stay fresher for a few days.
