Many of us store our vegetables in the fridge but one mum is now questioning whether or not she’s been keeping them incorrectly for years after finding a hidden label
Adulting really is just being told you’re doing everything wrong – including how you store your veggies.
The ‘crisper’ drawer featured in most fridges is often used to chuck in the healthy bits of your weekly food shop, in the hope they’ll stay fresh while you order a takeaway and not just instantly rot. But one woman has sparked debate after spotting a hidden label on her appliance which has made her question everything.
She says she, along with the rest of us, have been storing vegetables wrong for years. The post sparked debate online from other gobsmacked Brits, resulting in a food expert stepping in to clear a few things up. Posting a photo to the Mums Who Clean Facebook group back in 2020, it showed her carrots in the drawer which had a small sticker reading: “Do not store fruits or vegetables in the chilled room. The fruits or the vegetables could get frozen.”
She asked: “So I’ve been doing this wrong my whole life??” as others said it explains why their vegetables often freeze over. One replied: “Yeh that’s what I use the drawer for too and mine used to always freeze up. I thought maybe I had the temps wrong then I bought a mat that helps keep your food fresh and that worked – weird though glad I’m not the only one.”
A second replied: “Omg that’s why my veggies are freezing.” While a third added: “I’ve always used this for fruit and veg. Actually mine says it is for fruit and veg. Who knows??”
Others said the drawer is meant for meat rather than fresh fruit and veg, with one writing: “Meat should always be at the bottom of your fridge as if it leaks on things that won’t be cooked you can get food poisoning,” as reported by The Sun. However Mimi Morley, a senior chef at HelloFresh, has stepped in to settle the debate, clarifying that fruit and veg should be stored on the bottom shelf of the fridge – but you shouldn’t just throw it all in and hope for the best as each drawer serves a different function.
Mimi said: “It’s a common misconception that the two drawers at the bottom of the fridge are the same. In fact each drawer has its own exclusive purpose with one designed to create a high humidity, and the other a low humidity “Fruit and vegetables which are best served with a crisp crunch and may be sensitive to moisture loss, such as cabbage, carrots and strawberries, should be kept in the high humidity drawer (30-40 degrees) to avoid wilting.”
She added: “”The low humidity drawer should be stocked with goods that produce high-ethylene gas and aren’t as sensitive to moisture loss such as kiwis, stone fruits and apples. This will keep the products as juicy as can be and avoid unnecessary food waste.”
Mimi said fruit and veg shouldn’t be stored in a drawer more than two-thirds full as poor airflow can contaminate the food, and advised placing a damp paper towel over pre-chopped vegetables to avoid them drying out, before storing them in an airtight container. If veg such as celery or lettuce is looking a bit flimsy, place them in a cup of water and store it in the side door before waiting 12 hours to help revive and restore nutrients.
A version of this story was first published In July 2020.
