For many of us, coming home after doing a food shop is a matter of packing everything away as quickly as possible, finding a space in the fridge for a bag of spinach, and closing the door without a second thought. But there’s more to our fridges than just a few shelves to store food, and when it comes to for as long as possible, you might want to consider how you’re arranging certain items.
Mushrooms, in particular, should be paid close attention to, as them in the wrong place could also spoil the food around them. When refrigerated, mushrooms can last from four to seven days, while sliced mushrooms can last one to two days. A great addition to various dishes thanks to providing a meaty texture and earthy flavour to soups, stir-fries, and , mushrooms require extra attention to prevent them from going slimy.
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Mushrooms can turn black and slimy if stored incorrectly (Image: Getty)
While it’s advised to remove them from sealed plastic before placing them in the fridge, instead storing them in a breathable alternative like paper, it’s also important to consider where you place them in the fridge.
Many of us might assume that mushrooms go in the vegetable drawer at the bottom of the fridge, given that they’re classified as vegetables, but this could make the fresh produce stored here go off faster.
Consumer expert Grace Forell appeared on This Morning to explain why the middle shelf is the ideal place to store mushrooms.
“I’ve put mushrooms in there because you’d think they would go in the vegetable crisper, but they emit a gas called ethylene which can ripen other foods around it, so mushrooms are actually best separated,” she said.
Stop mushrooms going black and slimy by keeping them in 1 spot (Image: Getty)
Bananas also emit this gas, which is why they should never be stored in the fridge. Surprisingly, Grace advised viewers to put their milk in the fridge instead of in the side door.
“Milk should go in the fridge rather than the door. Because the door is being opened and closed a lot, the temperature fluctuates.” Instead it should be placed on the middle shelf, alongside mushrooms, and fruit produce.
The top of the fridge should be kept for things that aren’t going to perish easily, like butter, cheese and condiments, as this is where the temperature is the warmest, while raw meat and fish should be stored on the bottom shelf.