How refrigerating preserves food

At temperatures of 40°F and below, as in a properly set refrigerator, growth of microorganisms that cause spoilage slows, though it doesn’t stop altogether. Refrigerator pickles—that is, vegetables that are acidulated but not processed and sealed in a jar in a canning pot—can last longer in the refrigerator than fresh refrigerated vegetables, simply because they are submerged in an acidic liquid in which spoilers won’t thrive.