March 30, 2006
Fridge versus Cupboard Recap

Thanks to you, the Loyal Cruft Reader, the poll about proper storage is up to almost 70 votes as I write this.

Take a gander at the results:

The results are fairly interesting. As you can see, people are generally split on whether apples, syrup, and soy sauce are stored in the refrigerator or not. Obviously, apples and syrup go in the fridge and soy sauce goes in the cupboard! It's quite impressive that there is no consensus on these common items found in most homes. I'm sure many newly married couples have to debate these varied items.

This is the data set sorted by percentage that keep the item in the refrigerator.

You can see there is a fairly clear preference to store salad dressing, parmesan cheese, mustard, ketchup, and BBQ sauce in the fridge. I have to agree with these choices. Here at Cruft Manor they all live in the fridge.

Here the data is sorted by percentage that keep the item in the cupboard.

From these numbers you can see that peanut oil and chocolate are generally stored in the cupboard. We put chocolate in the fridge here, but as you already know, we are a little crazy.

There are three items that are more interesting to consider, bread, potatoes, and syrup are all around a 75%/25% split toward keeping them in the cupboard. Again, this kind of split in households has got to lead to some disagreements. I grew up with peanut butter in the fridge and Michele grew up with bread in the fridge. Due to compromise, they've both moved into the cupboard storage.

Well, what do you think? Is everyone else crazy?

Posted by michael at March 30, 2006 08:55 PM



Comments

I think it all depends on what kind of product you keep in your kitchen.

Most higher end products (those made from whole and organic foods, rather than those molecularly changed to have a long shelf life) need to be refrigerated.

For instance, real maple syrup needs refrigeration, but Log Cabin does not.

Posted by: Mom [http://momonthealert.com] on March 31, 2006 11:55 AM

This is definitely true. When we get bread from say Whole Foods or Trader Joe's they don't have preservatives and if it's left out on the counter for even a week beware penicillin. Where as Orowheat, of whatever variety, will last at least twice as long if not longer. So I would definitely agree with Mom.

Posted by: LittleKenny [http://littlekenny.com] on March 31, 2006 9:52 PM

I still say ketchup in the fridge is Wrong.

Who wants cold ketchup on your hot fries?

Posted by: Brad [http://www.flyingw.org] on April 1, 2006 9:51 AM

My wife actually can't decide on the soy sauce issue and, I sh*t you not, actually has one opened bottle in the fride and one opened bottle in the cupboard. She wants to cover all basis I guess. As long as my beer is warm and my women are cold I'm happy. Wait...

Posted by: Watson [http://www.monkeypad.com] on April 1, 2006 7:23 PM

I grew up with Laura Scudder's peanut butter. It makes you stir in the oil and then keep it in the fridge so the oil doesn't separate. Jif and Skippy require no stirring (and have sugar and stuff in them) and therefore no refrigeration.
When I was a kid my friends' houses were divided into the Scudder's refrigerated pb and the sweetened cupboard style pb.

I still eat pb on celery Monday through Friday for lunch. I've tried the the others but Laura Scudder's is the way to go. Trader Joe's Almond Butter is good and needs to be refrigerated too.

Posted by: ian [] on April 5, 2006 9:44 PM
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