Let me count the reasons why I love you, refrigerator. You keep my late-night ice cream frozen and the milk for my life-saving morning coffee cold. You store my spicy mayo, sushi leftovers and keep my blueberries crisp. Ok, fine, this is not an Ode to My Fridge, but they deserve some love. The fridge has only been around for about 100 years, and its ability to keep and preserve food was revolutionary. All of that said, did you know that some food items cannot and SHOULD NOT go in the refrigerator?
It depends on the food, of course, but some things take on bacteria more easily. Do you know which food items to put where? You’ll want to be confident in your answer so that you can keep yourself and your loved ones safe and your food at peak tastiness. Read on to see if you have been storing your food correctly.
In order to make the reading experience of this article more convenient, the article has been split up into multiple pages. At the end of each page, you will see a “next” button which will take you to the next page. Enjoy your reading!
Tricky Avocados
Avocados are a tricky bunch of fruits. That’s right, they are technically a fruit. Avocados are perhaps the most frustrating item in your shopping cart. You probably bought them when they were still hard, so you leave them out. Suddenly, their window of ripeness appears and if you don’t quickly consume the avocado, it’s suddenly black and inedible. The pressure! If you want the best avocado experience, you have to exercise some patience.
In this instance, it is best to store your avocados on the counter at room temperature. If you suspect that your avocado is already ripe – use it! If it is not quite ready, place it in a brown paper bag along with an apple or banana for a few days.
Homer Simpson’s Love
Is there a person in the world who does not like freshly baked donuts? What about if you have too many? Do you freeze them? Put them in the icebox? Not only does this sound like an amazing problem to have, but the solution is not to put them in the refrigerator.
The fridge tends to make donuts oddly soggy – thanks to the moisture of the refrigerator. In the end, it is best practice to keep them at room temperature and cover them. In general, the shelf-life of donuts is short-lived, so pig out all day long– it is for a good cause.
Aged Cheese Shocker
If you happen to be a fine-cheese connoisseur, you’re in luck. This next tip is for you. If you love fancy aged cheeses but did not know this: what we’re going to say next might blow your mind. Never, and we do mean NEVER put this kind of cheese in the fridge.
When left in the fridge, hard cheese turns into rock-hard cheese. This is because hard cheese goes through a six-month curing process. After this, the cheese should never get chilled. Store it in a cool, dark place like a pantry. This one is really mind-blowing- dare I say, life-changing?
Potatoes for the Win
Are you a fan of sweet and oddly-textured potatoes? We did not assume anyone would jump for joy when we asked this question. This is what you get if you place potatoes in the fridge. The starchy vegetable turns into an odd gooey sugar-paste-like substance. Not very appetizing if you ask me.
For best storage, keep potatoes in a room temperature environment, and ensure that they do not undergo extreme temperature changes. Another great tip – you should never leave baked potatoes wrapped in aluminum foil out to sit at room temperature, as they can do some damage to you if you eat them after.
Canned Tuna Fish
For some odd reason, some folks think that unopened canned tuna SHOULD go in the refrigerator. You bought it off the dry foods shelf in the grocery store, Sherlock, and that is where it can go in your home as well.
Is there ever a time where it does go in the refrigerator? Of course! Although you should always store unopened tuna at room temperature, once the can is opened you should store it in the fridge. Don’t be lazy either- transfer it to a sealed container instead of leaving it in open and exposing the can. This helps to keep it fresh and ready for that delicious tuna sandwich you’re gonna have later.
Chocolate-Hazelnut Spread- yes, please!
The goal of a spread is to, well, spread with ease. And the packaging of popular spreads like Nutella even states it right there on the item itself. This is because in the cold or a refrigerator – spreads become solid, making them a lot more difficult to spread. And nobody has time for that!
Why does this happen? Largely because the spread’s sugar content is a preservative that protects against the growth of bacteria. As such, spreads like Nutella get hard when they are refrigerated because of the high-fat content of hazelnuts. Do the right thing – make chocolate spread great again: keep it at room temperature.
Garlic’s Not Just to Keep Vampires Away
You should always store full bulbs of garlic in a cool, dry place. The pantry suffices in most cases. It is merely the safest place to keep these kinds of foods. You should also ensure that the container you store it in is ventilated.
The wrong kind of container only leads to mold, and the process happens quite fast, too. One of the best things about garlic is if you store it properly, it can stay good for months. The moment you crack open a head of garlic, it can last for up to ten days. And never forget, garlic is a superfood!
Smelly Onions
Under no circumstance should one ever place whole or uncut onion bulbs in the fridge. If you are, they get moldy, mushy, and weird from the humidity in the refrigerator. Just like potatoes, as onions are chilled, their starches get converted to sugars.
One of the grossest parts is, if you leave onions in the fridge long enough, they will completely liquify. I have seen it before and it is gross-looking. Another best practice for storing onions, be sure to keep them in a ventilated bag, like the ones they typically come in, ensuring the best possible experience when eating onions – not gross ones.
The Secret of Eggs
This next one is a bit controversial, but here is the rule for eggs. If you find them in the non-refrigerated section, keep them out when you get home. If you find them in the refrigerator section, place them there when you get home. It is quite simple.
Most experts agree that this is a good rule when dealing with eggs is to keep them out, however. The best egg experience happens to come from an egg that’s been out at room temperature for over a week. This is according to the BBC, an authority on many things, including eggs, apparently.
Coffee (AKA Life)
If you want to maintain fresh coffee, never compromising the integrity of elements like taste and aroma, keep your coffee out of the fridge. Lots of people do it, but it makes the coffee not-so-great in the end, which kind of defeats the purpose of putting it there in the first place.
This is, at least what experts say, including the likes of those at Starbucks. In large, they note that the fridge and freezer are far too humid and detract from the taste/smell of coffee. Morning coffee is LIFE, so protect it, people. Make sure that the first cup is smooth, delicious, and gets the job done.
Where to Put Your Honey
Do not put your honey in the fridge, it does not serve any purpose other than making having a good tea experience a lot harder for you in the end. Just imagine honey in the fridge. It turns hard and gets fairly useless. What can you realistically do with rock-hard honey? Not much!
Honey, and all its natural glory, never goes bad. Three cheers for honey. This is great news for honey lovers, but for those new to the game – do not put your honey in the fridge. It also increases the honey’s chances of growing harmful and avoidable bacteria.
Buttery Goodness
Ok, this one might really surprise you. Have you ever had butter that has been in the fridge for any period of time? How difficult is it to spread that butter? It seems to defeat the purpose of butter altogether when you consider what putting it in the fridge does to it.
This is why you should always keep your butter covered – in a cool area, out of the sun. Since butter is pasteurized and salted – it does not go bad. If you live in a cooler place, this works nicely for you, but not so great in the South. Another plus of living up North? We think so.
Health Properties in Melon
Melons are their sweetest and most juicy when they get eaten at room temperature. This goes for all melons, including watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew. And according to the USDA, these fruits MUST get stored at temperature to keep their antioxidants intact. By doing this, you preserve more of the healthy elements of the fruit.
You do not diminish them, but rather ensure that your melons retain their antioxidants along with other essential nutrients. So what happens once you cut a melon? Wrap it in cling wrap and put the rest in the fridge where it can last a few days. They lose health value each day in the fridge.
The Sweet Scent of Basil
Never keep your basil in the fridge. If you do, it gets… weird. What we mean by this is that keeping basil in the refrigerator turns the herb into a wilted brown mess, and it happens quite fast, too. You have seen it before, and it is gross. UBER gross, indeed.
Some herbs such as parsley and cilantro do well in the fridge, but basil is special and should be kept at room temperature. Who doesn’t love fresh and aromatic basil? We would assume there is not a person in their right mind who would answer “Me” to that question.
Eggplant- Nature’s Weirdo
Oh, who doesn’t love this weirdo? Did you know eggplants are not only actually fruit but also botanically classified as a berry? A BERRY! That’s a big berry. It is best to keep eggplants out of the fridge, and away from direct sunlight. Just like most fruits, eggplants are best at room temperature.
If you have less immediate plans for your eggplants – keep them in the crisper of your refrigerator for increased longevity/freshness. Always remember that eggplants are sensitive to ethylene gases produced by fruits like bananas, tomatoes, and melons. Eggplants should never cross paths with these fruits, like ever.
Peanut Butter Surprise
Nobody likes hard-to-spread peanut butter. Nobody except weirdos! Here’s a secret, there is absolutely no reason to keep peanut butter in the fridge, under any circumstance. As if peanut butter is not dry enough, you could turn your peanut butter into the texture of paint chips with enough dedication.
Natural peanut butter is a different story and should be placed in the fridge, like the oils, it can cause it to go bad. We would suggest, like most foods, placing peanut butter in the pantry, assuming your pantry is not in the icebox. Peanut butter should be easy to spread, not back-breaking work.
Olive Oil Storage
Keeping olive oil in the fridge is a terrible idea. It not only detracts from the taste of the typically aromatic and flavorful substance. Due to the damp, humid, and nature of condensation, olive oil can get weird in the fridge. Have you ever seen olive oil become cloudy and solidify?
You already know the drill, put your olive oil in a cool, dark place to preserve the integrity of the flavor. It can last up to a year if you store it right! If you have unopened cans of olive oil – those can stay good for up to two years.
Pickled Pickles
Here’s a best practice for storing pickles. If you buy them in the refrigerated section of the grocery store – it is best to store them in the fridge when you get home. Did you know that most pickles don’t need to be refrigerated? The very nature of pickles implies that they can stay out for long periods.
The salt and vinegar content in pickles is so strong, it can fight off potentially harmful bacteria and other microorganisms. The whole process of pickling something is a food preservation method, meaning pickles tend to stay good for a long time. Can you say crunch?
Vinegar
We just went over this briefly in the previous section, but it is important to note that some foods can preserve themselves. Vinegar is one of those foods. It has an indefinite shelf life. It should get stored in a cool, dark place, never to see direct sunlight.
This only holds for vinegar, whereas other condiments, i.e., vinaigrettes containing herbs, garlic, onion, etc., could necessitate refrigeration. It is always best to read the packaging of the said item before making any assumptions. That is a general rule of thumb and will lead to better food experiences in the end.
Yummy Berries
Berries are another tricky fruit to keep good for any period. If you do it wrong, they get soggy in no time. The only time you put berries in the fridge is when you do not wish to use them right away. If you do have plans to use them right away, keep them out.
Not only do they taste better, but they remain juicy at room temperature in the first place. Just rinse the berries right before using them. If you do not – there is a higher likelihood they will mold. Use a colander and do not submerge them in water. This goes for all berries, including strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, etc.
Catch up With What to Do With Ketchup
Because ketchup has a lot of natural acidities, it is the perfect condition for harmful microorganisms to grow in your ketchup, rendering it useless. This is kind of a hard one for me to swallow because I am a fan of cold ketchup, but having learned what I know now – I will never place my ketchup in the fridge.
Although lots of people say it has more flavor at room temp, I have never agreed with this notion, and am among the plenty of folks who put bottles of ketchup in the fridge. The fridge does increase ketchup’s shelf-life – but proceed with caution.
Mustard’s Secret
We’ve compiled this list with hopes of you having better food storage practices, resulting in better overall food experiences in the end. Some of the foods on this list still surprise us, however. The next one is mustard, and just like ketchup, mustard is high in acidity making it a self-preserving food item.
Next, we’re not going to tell you that keeping your mustard in the fridge compromises the integrity of the condiment. This one is purely a matter of personal taste, no pun intended. Just kidding – we did mean for that pun. How do you like your mustard? Cold or room temp?
Stone Fruit
Stone fruits, including the likes of peaches, apricots, nectarines, and plums – all ripen best at room temperature. This means that it is best to avoid putting them in the refrigerator. This holds unless you have no plans to eat them right away. Either way, these fruits should ripen at room temperature first for the best eating experience.
Stone fruits are unique, and when left to ripen in a fridge – they get what we call “chill damage.” Here’s some science for you, when fruit gets left to ripen below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, the ripening process stops altogether, resulting in mostly flavorless fruit.
Tomatoes
Never place your tomatoes in the fridge, it impacts the taste of the items, negatively. There is recent scientific research that suggests this is the case, anyway, and we want to give science as much credit as possible! We have all put tomatoes in the fridge before, and what can you report?
They do get weird and slightly less delicious. Researchers looked into genetically modifying tomatoes to prevent this but have not made any real breakthroughs as of now. Want to preserve the flavor of your tomatoes? Keep them out of the fridge and on the window-sill if they are unripe.
Molasses
This next one seems redundant. Molasses is already quite thick, so putting it in the fridge ensures that it gets thicker and harder? The same goes for maple syrup and other sweet/thick condiments. Because of its thickness, molasses should remain at higher temperatures as a fridge makes it impossible to use molasses properly.
Keep it in the pantry, always. Also, note that an unopened jar of molasses can keep good for about a year. Once it gets opened, it stays for roughly six months, which is still quite the long shelf-life. Please keep your molasses out of the fridge for maximum enjoyment.
Nuts & Dried Fruits
Nuts and dried fruits should never get stored in the refrigerator. The cooler temperature of the fridge stunts the nutty flavor of nuts and can make dried fruits too firm and rather tasteless.
Keep nuts and dried fruits in an airtight container in the pantry.
Another rule is that because these items remain in their shells, they are great and absorb the odors of things near them. This includes smelling and tasting like onions if they are too close for too long. Store each item separately, and if you do have nuts in the fridge – quickly toast them in the oven.
Bananas for Bananas
Where you put your bananas depends on their status. Unripe bananas should stay out of the fridge. It is only possible to tell if a banana is ripe by its color, with unripe bananas being green and firm. Have you ever tried to eat one of these kinds of bananas? They are gross!
If you already have ripe bananas, you can put them in the fridge, but remember not to keep them near other fruits and vegetables. This is because of the gases bananas give off that can make other veggies go bad. Overall, it is best to keep them outside of the fridge.
Chocolate (AKA Heaven)
The fact that some people like to keep their chocolate and candy bars in the refrigerator is still odd to us. Still trying to wrap our heads around it. But everyone is into their own thing, however. Putting chocolate in the icebox DOES ruin its taste and texture, though. And who wants their chocolate to taste weird?
When chocolate gets put in the refrigerator it is subject to a phenomenon called “sugar bloom.” And you can see it on the outer layer of the chocolate, which not only looks odd, but it makes the chocolate taste grainy and gritty – which is nasty.
Sweet, Sweet Bread
Putting your bread in the fridge is not a good idea. It dries it out, and it can lead to moisture in some cases, too. This all leads to mold, which is another story. In a nutshell – it is gross and nobody wants to deal with it.
It is always best practice to keep your bread out – stored at room temperature. Pre-sliced bread can stay fresh for up to a week, just ensure that the package is tightly sealed after each use. Remember, if you do have too much bread, you can always freeze it. You can always toast it!
Cucumbers
Have you ever put a cucumber in the fridge for any period? If you have, you know that things get weird when you do. This is such a widespread issue, that the University of California even did a study on it. Researchers found that storing the fruit, less than 50 degrees Fahrenheit, caused damage to the cucumber.
From this, we can conclude that it is best to keep cucumbers in the pantry (away from apples and bananas). Do this and they are sure to last longer, taking on a longer lifespan altogether. The fridge can also detract from the fruit’s health benefits.
Cereal- the Breakfast Staple
This one surprised us, but when you think about the reason why – it makes a lot of sense. Though it seems rare for someone to keep their cereal in the refrigerator, people do it. Doing so, however, can ruin the texture of the cereal. Imagine that, pre-soggy cereal?
Did we mention that cereal boxes take up a ton of space? This makes it best practice to leave it out at this rate. Thinking of a logical reason someone might leave their cereal in the fridge, it hit us – it could be to keep ants out. Just think about the downsides though.
Pumpkins
Did you want to use your leftover pumpkins from Halloween in your next pumpkin pie? Chances are you are going to put them in the fridge, if we have anything to do with it – you will never do it again. Not only does the fridge ruin pumpkins, but they also do it fast, too.
And you guessed it – you should store them in the pantry, which is exactly why it was created in the first place. They need a dry environment to thrive best, which is what makes the pantry perfect for the moment you decide to buy extra pumpkins for your pies.
Spices
Just as you would never leave coffee in the fridge – do the same with spices. And that goes for all spices, they are meant to be kept dry. Moisture ruins them and makes them take on new forms. This comes in the form of compromised taste, texture, etc.
Keep them in the kitchen cupboard or/on your spice rack. They should always remain at room temperature, ensuring they remain potent, taste better, and give off more of an aromatic smell than if there were kept in the cold fridge or freezer. Trust us, you will surely thank us a bit later.
An Apple a Day
Apples are the troublemakers of the fruit family. They are a tricky bunch, too, as they produce A gas called ethylene, which makes a lot of other fruits and veggies go bad. This is why it is best to separate your fruits and veggies, and they will also ripen faster.
When they are out of the fridge, apples can last for a solid week or two. And they are pretty/decorative, a win-win. This is an exception to the rule of not putting your fruits in the fridge, as apples last longer in the fridge, the only trouble is keeping them away from all your other produce.
Hot Sauce
Hot sauce is not just hot, but it is made from some pretty powerful ingredients, ones so strong, they create inhospitable environments for bacteria and foodborne illness. That is right, hot sauce is so cool (yes, pun intended) that it does not need to get stored in the fridge.
Hot sauce does have a longer shelf life if you keep it in the fridge and the flavor lasts longer. It depends on how frequently you use the hot sauce. If you are the kind of person who keeps the same bottle for years, you could be in store for some crusty hot sauce.
Peppers
Peppers are another oddity of a veggie. The kind that you don’t need to put in the refrigerator and will last several days on the counter. On the other hand, if you cut them, you should put them in the fridge, and be sure to put them in the crisper, to keep them crunchy.
We have all seen a sad pepper before, ones past their prime ripeness, they tend to get softer and drier. A general rule of thumb, if your bell pepper feels soft, it is time to throw it away. This happens rarely, as peppers have a decent shelf life in the grand scheme of things.
Rice
Rice is meant to stay in a dry and room temperature area, that is the nature of rice. If it is not, it runs the risk of contracting all kinds of potentially harmful bacteria and more. Make sure to keep it out of the sun, and out of the fridge.
If you want to get fancy with your rice, include an oxygen-absorbing packet with the dry rice to ensure it stays dry. This is the next level. As with other items on our list, once rice gets cooked, store it in the fridge. It does not have a long shelf life, so be sure to eat it quickly.
Cookies And Other Baked Goods
Though it may seem counterintuitive, keeping baked goods like cookies and brownies in the refrigerator dries them out, and it does rather quickly. Cool air tends to dry things out, just think about sweating in the sun after a run then going back into the house where the AC is on full blast.
Your sweat dries up fast, doesn’t it? Unless your baked goods have dairy as a primary component, i.e, a custard, store it in a container at room temperature. That includes cakes, cookies, etc. We’re sure you will not have a hard time getting rid of them!
Dried Beans
As you would with rice, keep dried beans out of the fridge. They don’t belong there. They should also get taken out of the plastic bags they often come in either, as plastic bags make the beans susceptible to moisture, bugs, etc. For a longer shelf life and to preserve their flavor, put them in a plastic container.
You can keep them on the counter, or in a dark place that doesn’t exceed 70 degrees Fahrenheit. If you manage to store them properly, dried beans can last quite a long time. A few years in some instances. If you go for vacuum sealing your beans – you can get an even longer shelf life.
Soy Sauce
One might almost rightfully assume that it is best to place an open bottle of soy sauce in the fridge. Well, that is not necessarily the case. And before you put your soy sauce in the fridge, consider keeping it in the pantry, and ensure that the bottle is tightly sealed.
Due to the high nature of sodium in soy sauce, it does a great job of preserving itself. Talk about self-preservation! It helps to protect against spoiling. Some makers of soy sauce, including the likes of Kikkoman, say keep it in a “cool place.” Try it out and let us know.
Salad Dressing
Some salad dressings do not need to go back in the fridge – even after you open them. This is, of course, when you consider the fact that creamy dressings like ranch and thousand islands DO need to go back in the fridge after you use them and open them. Oil-based dressings such as most vinaigrettes, do not need this, though.
Be sure to tightly seal the cap, and you should be good to go. These dressings are often best served at room temperature, too. You can even put vinaigrettes in a food container, such as Pyrex or Tupperware. It works.
Jam’s Jam
One does not tend to assume that jam does not belong in the fridge. It almost seems counterintuitive, but this one is important, so listen up. Are you confused yet? Well, let us set the record straight, even after you open jam, you do not need to put it in the fridge. You see, jam is, well, jam-packed with sugar.
And sugar is a natural preservative that prevents jam from spoiling quickly. Assuming you tightly seal the lid and store your jam in a cool, dry place, such as a cupboard or pantry – it will likely be just fine. This one is a matter of personal taste, though.
Citrus Fruits
Like the majority of fruits, citrus fruits don’t need to be stored in the fridge. And it makes a lot of sense if you have ever put a lemon in the fridge and give it a day or two. They typically get dry as a bone! Also, consider that citrus fruits do ripen on the vine during the peak of warm summer weather.
If you want to make citrus fruits ripe, you first have to preserve their moisture content. The fridge pretty much negates this notion altogether. There is an exception, though. If you find your citrus fruits going bad and need to extend their shelf life, you can put them in the fridge.
Tropical Fruits
As these fruits mainly come from warmer climates – tropical fruits do not take kindly to the cold. Want to preserve their rich flavor profiles? You guessed it – do not keep them stored in a fridge. It tends to ruin everything if you have not noticed by now. In all seriousness, there’s more.
To preserve the maximum flavor in your tropical fruits, it is most ideal to keep them at around 50 degrees Fahrenheit. This will not only preserve flavor but texture and other elements that have health benefits, but they will look great, too! Don’t you want some sexy fruit?
Squash: Butternut, Winter, Etc.
Squash is a veggie that knows what it likes in life. If it were a person, it would for sure live in a cool and dry climate. This makes spaces like fridges off-limits for the likes of beautiful squash, no matter the kind.
Store them between 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. And with squash, the level of humidity you let in is key. It should be between 50 and 70%. Oh, and they love the sunlight, as it expedites their ripening process. If you want a longer shelf life, keep them out of the sunlight in a pantry or cupboard.
Opened Cans
Have you ever put a can of something you used a bit of in the fridge? If you leave it there long enough you will notice it no matter what is in the can, it kind of just tastes like the can. Not so appetizing if you ask us!
So, how does one solve this issue? Tackle it head-on, and do not put your canned foods in the fridge. You should always transfer the leftover contents of your canned items into a food-safe container and that should do the trick. So, eliminate that gross taste from your life with the help of our practical advice.
Corn
Being an Indiana boy, this one is near-and-dear to my heart. Corn is meant to be sweet and delicious, not dull, tasteless, and sad. This is what happens to corn once you put it in the fridge, though. Like NEVER.
If you do it for a day or two, it is not the worst move in the world, but any longer can cause it to lose its sweetness. And what is corn if it isn’t buttery and super sweet? You never want to keep it in the fridge TOO long as it dehydrates corn. Can you say rubbery corn? Gross.
Jerky/Biltong
Depending on where you are from, you either call it jerky or biltong. South Africans happen to call it the latter. Whatever you call it, it is just dried meat, which is why you would never store it in the fridge, right?
If you do put it in the fridge, you run the risk of it getting moist, which defeats the purpose of dried meat in the first place. So, how do you store it? It is best to store it in a container, in a dry place. You can also use plastic wrap. It is a lot better than putting it in the fridge.
Pears
Here is another oddball. One you would not expect to make this list, but here it is. Pears. That is right, their skin is quite delicate, and cold air can damage a pear’s juicy tenderness. If the skin of a pear does become dull and devoid of taste, it becomes odorless, especially in the fridge.
That is no way to enjoy a pear. If you happen to be in the mood for some chilled fruit – there are a ton of fruits that can get stored in the fridge. It does not, however, include summer fruits such as watermelon, peaches, apples, and cucumbers.
Carrots
Much like cucumbers, the fridge isn’t the best place to put your carrots. The cold air ruins their integrity. Quite a deep thought, no? It actually accelerates the rotting process and turns your carrots soft, in addition to various colors. The culprit? Water, there is an incredible amount of water in veggies.
The genetic makeup of carrots is quite interesting, and it reacts fast with the cold fridge.
Overall, the fridge shortens the shelf life of carrots, drastically. You can put them in the refrigerator for a few hours, but there really is no reason to do so at all.
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