20 Favorite Foods You’re Ruining By Storing In The Fridge, Michigan Style
We Michiganders love our food, but sometimes our storage habits can sabotage flavor and freshness. From Traverse City cherries to Detroit-style pizza, improper refrigeration can turn delicious treats into disappointing duds.
Check out these common foods you might be storing wrong, plus some Pure Michigan tips to keep everything tasting its best.
1. Mackinac Island Fudge
That famous chocolate treat loses its creamy texture in the cold! Refrigeration makes fudge harden too much and develop sugar crystals on the surface.
Store your Mackinac Island fudge in an airtight container at room temperature instead. It’ll stay perfectly soft for up to two weeks, maintaining that melt-in-your-mouth quality tourists line up for.
2. Fresh Traverse City Cherries
Michigan’s famous cherries hate the cold! When refrigerated, these ruby gems lose their bright flavor and develop a mealy texture that ruins their juicy appeal.
Keep freshly picked cherries on your counter for 1-2 days. Only refrigerate if you can’t eat them quickly enough. Before serving, let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to revive that farm-stand sweetness.
3. Vernors Ginger Ale
Michigan’s favorite stomach soother loses its signature fizz in the fridge! The cold temperature actually makes carbonation dissolve faster once you open the bottle.
Keep unopened Vernors in your pantry. Only chill what you’ll drink in the next day. For maximum fizz when fighting a tummy ache (the Michigan way), pour over ice instead of storing the whole bottle cold.
4. Better Made Potato Chips
Detroit’s beloved chips turn soggy in the refrigerator! The cold air causes condensation inside the bag, destroying that satisfying crunch Michigan tailgates depend on.
Store your Better Made chips in a cool, dry pantry in their original bag with the air squeezed out. For maximum freshness, use a chip clip and consume within a week. Your taste buds will thank you!
5. Frankenmuth Chicken
That famous family-style chicken gets tough and dry in the fridge! Cold air pulls moisture from the meat, leaving you with a sad shadow of Frankenmuth’s juicy specialty.
Enjoy your chicken fresh and hot when possible. If storing leftovers, keep them in an airtight container with a splash of broth or gravy. Reheat gently with a cover to restore some moisture.
6. Detroit-Style Pizza
That crispy-edged square pizza turns into a sad, soggy mess in the fridge! The cold makes the cheese rubbery and the distinctive crispy crust goes limp.
Store leftover Detroit-style pizza on the counter for up to 2 hours. For longer storage, use parchment paper between slices in an airtight container. Reheat in a hot oven or skillet; never the microwave!
7. Farmers Market Tomatoes
Michigan summer tomatoes lose their farm-fresh flavor in the fridge! Cold temperatures alter the flavor compounds and give that juicy texture a mealy, disappointing quality.
Store tomatoes stem-side down on your counter away from direct sunlight. Only refrigerate fully ripe tomatoes you can’t use quickly. Let chilled tomatoes warm to room temperature before eating to restore some flavor.
8. U.P. Pasties
The Upper Peninsula’s hearty hand pies get tough crusts and dried-out fillings when refrigerated! The cold air wicks away moisture, ruining that perfect balance miners once loved.
Keep fresh pasties at room temperature if eating within 4 hours. For longer storage, wrap tightly and freeze them. Thaw completely before reheating in a 325°F oven for that authentic Yooper experience.
9. Honey from Local Beekeepers
Pure Michigan honey crystallizes faster in the fridge! The cold temperature speeds up this natural process, making your local honey hard to pour and losing its smooth texture.
Store honey at room temperature in a dark cabinet. If crystallization occurs, simply place the jar in warm water to restore flow. Michigan wildflower varieties especially benefit from proper storage to preserve their unique flavors.
10. Cider Mill Donuts
Those autumn favorites from Michigan cider mills turn rock-hard in the fridge! The cold air quickly dries out the soft interior and makes the sugary coating clump unpleasantly.
Store fresh cider donuts in a paper bag at room temperature for 1-2 days. The paper allows just enough moisture exchange to maintain that perfect texture. Warm slightly before eating for the authentic orchard experience.
11. Pinconning Cheese
Michigan’s famous aged cheese loses flavor complexity when too cold! Refrigeration below 35°F numbs the tangy notes that make Pinconning special.
Store this Michigan favorite in cheese paper or wax paper, then in a loose plastic bag in your fridge’s vegetable drawer (the warmest part). Remove from refrigeration 30-60 minutes before serving to wake up all those complex flavors.
12. Fresh Lake Michigan Whitefish
Freshly caught whitefish gets a fishy smell faster in the refrigerator! Improper storage accelerates bacterial growth, even in cold temperatures.
Store fresh whitefish on ice in a colander over a bowl in the refrigerator. This keeps it cold without soaking in melted ice water. Better yet, cook it the same day you buy it for that true Northern Michigan flavor experience.
13. Sanders Hot Fudge Sauce
Detroit’s iconic ice cream topping gets grainy when refrigerated! The cold causes sugar crystals to form, ruining that silky-smooth texture generations of Michiganders love.
Store unopened Sanders Hot Fudge in your pantry. Once opened, it can stay at room temperature for up to 30 days. If you must refrigerate, warm it slowly with a bit of cream to restore that perfect pour-able consistency.
14. American Coney Island Chili
Detroit’s famous hot dog topping loses its distinctive spice profile in the fridge! Cold temperatures dull the carefully balanced flavors that make this chili special.
Store leftover coney chili in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 hours. For longer storage, freeze in small portions rather than refrigerating. Reheat thoroughly with a splash of water to maintain that authentic consistency.
15. Fresh Michigan Basil
Garden-fresh basil turns black and limp in the refrigerator! The cold damages the delicate leaves that grow so abundantly in Michigan summer gardens.
Treat fresh basil like flowers – trim the stems and place in a glass of water on your counter. Cover loosely with a plastic bag for humidity. This keeps your basil vibrant for days, perfect for pairing with those counter-stored Michigan tomatoes!
16. Faygo Red Pop
Michigan’s beloved red soda loses its fizz faster when stored in the refrigerator! The cold temperature actually makes carbonation escape more quickly once opened.
Keep unopened Faygo at room temperature. Only chill what you’ll drink right away. For parties, cool bottles in an ice bath just before serving rather than storing in the fridge for days. Your Detroit-style pop will taste much better!
17. Zingerman’s Bread
Ann Arbor’s famous artisan bread gets stale faster in the fridge! Cold air speeds up the staling process, even though it seems counterintuitive.
Store Zingerman’s bread at room temperature in its original paper bag for 1-2 days. For longer storage, freeze it while fresh, then thaw and reheat in a 350°F oven. The refrigerator is the one place this Michigan treasure should never go!
18. Michigan-Grown Peaches
Summer peaches from Michigan orchards turn mealy and lose flavor in the refrigerator! Cold temperatures damage the fruit’s delicate cellular structure.
Keep peaches at room temperature until fully ripe, which you can tell by their sweet aroma and slight give when gently squeezed. Only refrigerate fully ripe peaches you can’t eat within a day or two. Let them warm up before eating.
19. Germack Pistachios
Detroit’s famous nuts lose their crunch in the refrigerator! The moisture in the fridge affects the texture that makes these Michigan-roasted treasures special.
Store Germack pistachios in an airtight container in a cool, dry pantry. The controlled roasting process gives them a long shelf life without refrigeration. For maximum freshness, consume within a month of opening the package.
20. Michigan Maple Syrup
Pure maple syrup from Michigan’s sugar bushes can develop mold even in the refrigerator! The cold temperature isn’t enough to prevent spoilage once opened.
Contrary to popular belief, real maple syrup should be stored in the freezer after opening. Don’t worry—it won’t freeze solid due to the high sugar content. This preserves that distinctive Michigan sweetness without any risk of mold development.
