Tins in fridges!!

[bertie21]

My husband won't believe me when I tell him he shouldn't store open tins of food in the fridge because I can't give him a reason.  I just know that my Mum said you shouldn't but can anyone give me a explaination so that I can prove to him that I am right !!!  Thanks everyone.

[Hgrove]

I think it's something to do with the fact that the tin begins to oxidate once it is open and exposed to air, and it makes the food go off faster.   I once got a bad stomach upset and my neighbour said it was because of an open tin in the fridge.  She said I should have decanted the content into a non-metal pot.

[daddyg]

My wife goes on about this all the time too but never has a good reason either. We don't put many tins in the fridge anyway just generally the cat food and she never has any bother.

[FP]

I think Hgrove's answer is correct.  I only keep opened canned animal food in the fridge, with those little plastic lids on.

[clarabel82]

I put a tin of pineapple in the fridge once, I can't remember exactly what happened to it but my house mate went mental at me! think it must've changed colour or something. She shouldn't have left it lying around on the work surface should she?! hehe

[Kingaroo]

I agree with hgrove. Anything will keep better if air is sealed out. At least put some plastic wrap over the top with a rubber band, so the food won't dry out.

And yes I think pineapple's the worst, it gets a metallic flavor because it has strange enzymes in it -- have you noticed the instructions on the back of the Jello box tell you not to put pineapple in your jello salad because it won't set up because of the enzymes.

[smudge]

I always empty the contents of tinned food into a bowl, cover with cling film, then place in the fridge.

 

When we had our cat, I used to do the same as FP & use a cat food plastic lid - much more convenient when she was walking thro' my legs & meowing to be fed!.

[MORELLO]

Botulism.

[ursula62]

Its to do with the fact that pure tin changes character at temperatures below 10 degrees Celcius and becomes flaky. This could enter the foodstuff. It is called tin pest.

A good fridge should be between 1 and 4 degrees in temperature, so tins shouldn't be kept in the fridge, open or otherwise.

 

[TariqE]

But I'm quite sure that most 'tins' are made from aluminiuim or steel these days....

[ursula62]

They are still made from tin, but usually covered with steel to prevent rusting. It is less of a problem these days, particularly as a lot of tins are UPVC lined, but tins should never be put in the freezer/

[booksworth]

Ursula, it's steel covered with tin. The tin has to be a perfect coating to prevent the steel rusting. Acid (i.e. most fruits) will react with the steel, where the opener has cut through the tin. -.-.-.- Also, if you are going to keep an open tin, take the lid right off. I've seen someone with a serious cut in their finger from the part-opened lid of a tin.

[trilobite]

booksworth is right, the (cheaper) steel is internally plated with an extremely thin layer of (expensive) tin, which will not react with the contents for as long as the can remains unopened. Once opened, a reaction can occur between the two metals as a result of the acidity of the contents. This is more of a problem when the tin coating on the internal walls of the can are scratched by a spoon or fork when removing the some of the contents.