Note to self: sun-dried tomatoes do not go in the fridge. Olive oil at low temperatures resembles hamburger grease. Thankfully, it stopped looking ooky once I thawed it. At least when I put peanut butter in the fridge it was because the label said so. The solid olive oil incident was due to my own ignorance. Between this, the peanut butter that broke my tablespoon and the time I made a fiberglass smoothie, I think I need to start a tag for my entries called “kitchen mishaps.” Hopefully it will not become a frequent feature. Thank goodness I don’t have a gas stove or else I probably would have blown up my kitchen by now.
Dyan says
November 9, 2007 at 9:29 amIt really can’t hurt to refrigerate stuff like this. Yeah, it looks completely gross, but it can make them last longer. If anything, don’t store anything packed in oil, or flavored oils for that matter, near heat (like near or above the stove).
I am very proud that you are not afraid to try different foods. I think that is why dieting can be so hard; we get sick of the same old thing all the time!
JEM says
November 9, 2007 at 9:30 amEven though it looks yucky, I always store my olive oil (or any oil) products in the fridge so it doesn’t go rancid. I just thaw it out each time. But hey, thats me.
MB says
November 9, 2007 at 9:48 amHAHAHAHA … blame it on the Nyquil.
Hope you are feeling better now and can celebrate this weekend!
Amy says
November 9, 2007 at 10:07 amGas stoves rock, but I have had to buy all new utensils. And a fire extinguisher.
Diana the Scale Junkie says
November 9, 2007 at 11:44 amI have a jar just like this in the fridge, I just put a few in a small dish and microwave or put a few in a fine strainer and rinse off the oil with hot water. I didn’t learn to cook until I was in my mid 30’s and now I get so many compliments so don’t give up hope of being a gourmet one day!
coraspartan says
November 9, 2007 at 12:30 pmPQ,
I received my Hallmark gift pack from you yesterday; thanks! It was awesome!
Cathleen says
November 9, 2007 at 12:37 pmI actually put my olive oil in the fridge too — it lasts longer that way. I have to put it into Tupperware tubs first, though, so I can scoop out what I need — it won’t pour out of the bottle congealed! And I often chop garlic and/or rosemary into it first, for extra flavor.
Okay, so you weren’t looking for cooking tips, but you show me a picture like that, and what am I supposed to do?
Jenny says
November 9, 2007 at 1:31 pmRuh-roh, I did the same thing. And it creeped me out so bad I haven’t eaten anything in oil for months.
Kini says
November 9, 2007 at 4:35 pmBeen there. Done that. I still tend to refrigerate things like that, but try to make a mental note that it needs to “thaw” before using.
K says
November 9, 2007 at 5:21 pmYour fridge must be REALLY cold! We have various things in oil which we keep in ours, and they’ve never solidified…
I like hearing about other people’s kitchen mishaps; it makes me feel better about my own. The other day I was nearly brained by a grill-pan which probably shouldn’t have been perched on top of the wine rack over the fridge.
Didn’t you lick a catfood spoon once? Maybe it’s best not to make these things public, after all…
starbird says
November 9, 2007 at 8:14 pmI never refrigerate my oils or mayonnaise any more. It could be these cold Oregon days and my reluctance to turn the thermostat up past 68 degrees, but nothing has gone rancid. Regular olive oil, extra virgin, mustard, catsup… there are many products that don’t need to be refrigerated. I think the type of processing, use of non-aluminum containers and other safety measures keeps the oils non-rancid.
Also, it is good not to refrigerate tomatoes, bananas, potatoes and onions. However, once I prepare a pineapple, I put it in the fridge immediately, following a sad experience. Also, you can refrigerate bread dough at a number of stages to retard the rising – that develops flavor and allows working women to make bread a few hours at a time over a period of two or three days.
I know you didn’t ask for a tutorial on uses and misuses of the refrigerator, but I couldn’t help myself!
Marshmallow says
November 9, 2007 at 8:49 pmHow odd – I’ve never seen a jar of sun dried tomatoes here where they’re stored in olive oil, they’ve always been stored in canola. And in fact, it even says on the friggin jar, ‘Refridgerate after opening.’ The hell? o_0
Judi Finneran says
November 9, 2007 at 9:49 pmCongratulations on your amazing success. With 187.5 pounds of my own to release you are so motivating. Keep it up and thanks for sharing.
Keep Pushing Play,
Judi
Emily says
November 11, 2007 at 3:33 amNo, you were right, you SHOULD keep the sundried tomatoes in the fridge. They do solidify, but they’ll go rancid if you leave them out. FYI!
kyle says
November 11, 2007 at 1:03 pmWow, those look amazingly gross.
But I do love me some sundried tomatoes. And I’ve put a jar in the fridge before but that never happened. Maybe it’s because Chileans don’t believe in keeping their refridgerators cold enough to actually, well refridgerate anything.
So it looks like you are feeling better enough to come off of the soup and medicine diet, that’s good to see :)
Meagan says
November 11, 2007 at 5:27 pmHey PQ, if you ever run out of things for your “Lick the Produce Section” thing – try going to Saranga International Grocery (Lafayette Rd. & 34th). I went to check it out today and there were some monstrous-looking veggies there that I had no clue what to do with.
PQ – Thanks for the tip!
Sandi says
November 11, 2007 at 6:38 pmI got my cards!!!! Thank you so much!!! VERY COOL!!! :)
Amy says
November 12, 2007 at 1:23 pmI have done the same thing and it is nasty-almost makes me love them a little less knowing that they can turn into that!