Chill-Free Storage: Vegetables That Thrive at Room Temperature

Storing vegetables the wrong way can affect their quality and even your health. According to nutritionist Kiran Kukreja, some regular kitchen habits - such as keeping garlic, onions and potatoes in the fridge - can do more damage than good. These vegetables are sensitive to cold and can develop harmful compounds or spoil quickly when they become refrigerated. Here's why you need to reconsider storing them in the fridge.

Don't Keep These 3 Vegetables in the Fridge – It Can Be Dangerous

1. Garlic

When garlic is stored in the refrigerator, it starts to sprout quickly. These green flavors taste bitter and reduce the nutrition of garlic. Even more important, garlic stored in the cold, damp condition can easily absorb the mold. Some scientific studies have also associated garlic forms with cancer. Kukreja advises against buying pre-peeled or refrigerated garlic. Peel garlic only at the time of cooking to make it fresh and safe.

2. Onion

Many people keep sliced onions in the refrigerator, which might lead to infection. Onions absorb moisture and microorganisms from their surroundings, particularly when chopped. Keeping them cold also converts their starch to sugar, making them taste strangely sweet and spoil faster. It is advisable to keep entire onions in a cold, dry area and utilize cut onions as soon as possible.

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3. Potato

Storage of potatoes in the fridge triggers "cold sweetening," a process where starch converts into sugar. When heated intensely, such sugars interact with asparagine (a normal component of potatoes) and result in the production of acrylamide, a cancer-related substance. For a reduction in such risk, pre-treat chopped potatoes by submerging them in water for 15–30 minutes before cooking, don't cook them excessively, and cook them by boiling or steaming, but not by frying or baking.