The 2 Items You Shouldn't Store In Your Pantry, According To Anne Burrell
Anne Burrell, who is known for her fiery temper and strong opinions on food, is fervently against storing two items your pantry. Instead, she argues that these products should be kept strictly in the fridge.
Now, your head might be going to traditionally divisive foods that spawn debates over proper storage techniques. Some of these items include ketchup, water, and even bread. But Burrell zeroed in on two ingredients that might surprise you: infused olive oil and peanut butter.
In a Food & Wine article, Burrell, along with a handful of other celebrity chefs like Judy Joo, provided reasons as to why you should not place these items in a room temperature environment. Here are the "Worst Cooks in America" star's thoughts on storing these condiments in the pantry, and why you should actually keep them chilled.
Infused Olive Oil
This one might cause you to scratch your head. After all, you can usually find olive oil on the shelves with other cooking oils in the supermarket. Plus, if you're putting olive oil directly on a salad or in a pan to cook, wouldn't using room temperature oil be more convenient? What is Anne Burrell's reasoning behind refrigerating such an item?
Infused olive oil differs from regular and extra-virgin olive oil in that it is infused with other ingredients, like lemon peel or a herbs, according to The Olive Oil Source. In the example that Burrell used in the Food & Wine article, a garlic-infused olive oil might contain botulism. Mayo Clinic stated that botulism can cause medical emergencies if consumed in large quantities.
Therefore, if you can, it is important to refrigerate your infused olive oil. Burrell warned that it might cause your oil to freeze a bit, but it's worth it to make the liquid safer to ingest.
Peanut Butter
Peanut butter is already controversial in terms of its popularity, doing well in countries such as the United States, but less common in countries like France (via je parle américain).
For taste and consistency purposes, lots of peanut butter fans debate over whether or not their favorite spread should be stored in the pantry or the refrigerator. For example, one Quora user argued that room temperature peanut butter is more appealing in taste and is easier to spread on bread.
However, in the long term, refrigerated peanut butter can keep the oils and solids preserved, an observation noted in Women's Health Magazine. Furthermore, Healthline stated that peanut butter should be stored in the refrigerator so that it lasts longer.
Burrell actually does not provide a reason as to why peanut butter should be kept in the refrigerator, at least in the Food & Wine article. However, as she is a seasoned chef with lots of experience in the kitchen, heeding her advice would not be a bad idea for culinary novices.