An organizing expert has sparked a debate about food storage after detailing the items that should never be kept in the refrigerator.
Caroline Solomon, 34, from New York, is known as ‘Neat Caroline’ on TikTok, where she shares lifestyle tips and helpful hacks with her nearly 250,000 followers.
The content creator went viral after listing six foods that shouldn’t be chilled, but her views on one popular condiment proved to be controversial.
Solomon started the list with chocolate, which many people put in the refrigerator to keep it from melting, especially on hot summer days.
Organizing expert Caroline Solomon, 34, from New York, went viral on TikTok after sharing six items you should never keep in the refrigerator
The content creator explained that putting chocolate in the refrigerator ‘dulls the flavor and leads to a grainy consistency’
Solomon revived an age-old debate when she said ketchup can be stored in the refrigerator or the cupboard, even though it’s recommended to refrigerate the condiment after opening
She explained that chilling chocolate ‘dulls the flavor and leads to a grainy consistency.’
‘Store it in a dark and dry place,’ she advised.
Solomon then revived an age-old debate when she said that ketchup doesn’t need to be refrigerated.
‘You can totally keep the bottle in the fridge, but it’s entirely safe to keep it in your cupboard as well,’ she noted.
The lifestyle guru went on to say that garlic bulbs are ‘best kept in a cool, dry place as refrigeration causes it to become rubbery.’
Next on her list was olive oil, which she explained ‘can form crystals and turn solid if left in the fridge.
Solomon added that basil is ‘best left at room temperature with the stems in the water.’ She didn’t have any basil on hand, so she used other herbs to demonstrate.
She concluded her video with a note on pastries.
The lifestyle guru went on to say that garlic bulbs are ‘best kept in a cool, dry place,’ while olive oil ‘can form crystals and turn solid if left in the fridge’
Solomon added that basil is ‘best left at room temperature with the stems in the water.’ She didn’t have any basil on hand, so she used other herbs to demonstrate
‘If you have Danishes, muffins, that sort of thing, it’s best to keep them at room temperature,’ she said.
Solomon’s video has been viewed more than one million times and has received hundreds of comments since it was posted on October 18.
Many people disagreed with her stance on ketchup and argued that it’s supposed to be refrigerated after opening.
‘Ketchup it says for best results keep in fridge. It helps preserve the flavor,’ one person responded.
‘So we just going to ignore labels that say refrigerated after opening?’ another asked.
‘Didn’t Heinz literally put out a public service recently remind people they need to put their Ketchup up in the fridge lol,’ someone else added.
‘If you have Danishes, muffins, that sort of thing, it’s best to keep them at room temperature,’ she said of pastry storage
Solomon’s video has been viewed more than one million times and has received hundreds of comments, but many people disagreed with her ketchup and chocolate recommendations
According to the guidelines at FoodSafety.gov, ‘refrigeration ensures that commercial sauces and condiments stay fresh for a longer period of time.’
Heinz has also recently weighed in on the debate, with a spokesperson telling DailyMail.com that ‘our ketchup has to be in the fridge.’
Commenters from around the world also insisted that they have to refrigerate their chocolate or it would melt.
‘I live in Florida. I’m not leaving chocolate outside of the fridge,’ one person said.
‘Anyone who has experienced an Australian summer knows you have to refrigerate chocolate and sauce,’ someone else agreed.
‘In my country chocolate goes in the fridge because it’s literally melt outside,’ another added.
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