It is quite natural for all of us to want to preserve and protect the foods we purchase. With that in mind, we always think that the best way to do that is by putting them in our refrigerators. However, there are certain foods which should never be placed in the fridge. Below, we have put together an extended list of such foods. The results and certain entries, may surprise you.

Bananas

Because they retain nutrients better outside the fridge, bananas should never be placed inside the refrigerator. According to Canadian Produce Marketing Association, bananas are better kept on the counter until they ripen. The cold temperatures actually slow down the ripening process of the banana

Potato Growers of Alberta all agree; spuds should be placed in a cool, dry and dark space. By reason of the cold temperatures of the fridge, it can turn starch into sugar more rapidly. Because of that, keeping tots out of there, is best. It is also recommended that potatoes be removed from plastic or paper bags they may have been placed in. Also, keep them unwashed, as well in a well-ventilated cardboard box

                                                                    Onions

Avocados

If you purchased an avocado that’s not ripen, you should not place it in your refrigerator. Since they will need time to ripen, keeping in the cold cooler will deter and impede that process. Also, placing the avocado in your fridge should only be done if the avocado is already ripe and you won’t use it right away.

Garlic

Believe it or not, placing garlic in your refrigerator will actually cause it to sprout. The garlic will also get moldy and even rubbery. Moreover, inside your fridge, the look of the garlic will rarely change. This means you won’t be able to tell if it’s any good until you finally slice it open.

                                                                Bread

Nothing dries out bread faster than your refrigerator. In the event that you have made sandwiches with the bread, then you can place them in the fridge. The cold temperature will make the bread tough and chewy. Furthermore, the coldness tends to make the bread turn stale and harder, at a faster pace.

Coffee

Since both ground coffee and beans require cool, dry and dark spots to retain their flavor & freshness, the fridge is not the place for them. Coffee and beans also need an airtight container. If you have large amounts of coffee that you won’t use right away, then you can freeze it. Just make sure to wrap the coffee in airtight bags. This way, you can store it for up to a month in your refrigerator

Tomatoes

We all love tomatoes for their taste. But putting them in the refrigerator will cause them to lose all of their flavour. Plus, the cold air in the cooler stops the ripening process as well. And as we all know, ripening is what gives every tomato more taste and flavor. The cold temperature of the fridge will alter the texture of the tomatoes as well. Lastly, coldness breaks down the membranes within the fruit walls, according to Harold McGee’s On Food and Cooking. For best results, keep tomatoes out, and inside a basket or a bowl on your counter.

Honey

Providing that you keep it in a tightly sealed place, honey will stay good almost forever. Therefore, storing it in your cooler doesn’t make sense. Honey, is a naturally preserved food so it needs no help from us. Ironically enough, placing honey in your refrigerator will in fact speed up the sugar crystallization process. The result of that will be the honey becoming almost dough-like, in form. Thus, making it harder or nearly impossible to scoop or use.

Pumpkin

Charlie Brown loves his pumpkins. But he should never place them inside of a fridge, and neither should you. Pumpkins need to be placed in a well ventilated area. The location also needs to be dark, cool and dry. Basements, are perfect spots for pumpkins, according to the CPMA

Olive Oil

Since storing olive oil in a fridge will turn it harder and make it condensed, it should never be placed there. Instead, put the olive oil in dark, cool place. Otherwise, you risk turning your olive oil into a butter-like density.

Basil

The refrigeration cold will wilt basil a lot faster than normal. Also, basil can and will absorb any of the smells from other foods near it. Treat your basil in the same manner you would treat flowers. For best results, keep it outside of your fridge and let it sit in a cup of freshwater. Martha stewart tells us that if you want to store basil for longer periods of time, blanch it first, then freeze it.

Fruits like: Apricots, Kiwi, Peaches, Plums and Mangoes

Just like tomatoes and other foods placed in refrigerators have their ripening process stopped, the same goes for these fruits. Kiwi, apricots, mangoes, plums and peaches can also lose their nutrients if placed in a cooler. To avoid the cold temperatures of the fridge breaking down the membranes of the fruits, place them in a dry, cool place such as your counter

Peanut Butter

Nothing goes better with peanut butter than jelly. However, unlike most jams, peanut butter should be kept out of the refrigerator. Placing it inside your fridge, can eventually turn the PB hard and dry. Instead, keep the peanut butter in a cool, dark and dry place, such as your cupboard. This will keep the peanut butter smooth, soft and ready for spreading

Pickles

Pickle is often found in refrigerators, but for your kind information leave them outside of your fridge and give your fridge some free space. You should know that pickles are high on preservatives and I have tasted 3-year old pickles that were kept outside of our fridge. Truly speaking, I did not get any odor or distaste from them while chewing. It should be also noted that some foods are preserved with the help of pickles, so as pickles used as preservatives, you should not worry about its preservation without refrigeration

Egg

It is a long debate whether you should keep eggs inside your refrigerator or not. One study suggests that keeping eggs whether in a refrigerator or not does not change their normal properties, so it can be said that if you keep eggs at room temperature, there should not be any problem. There is another study that reveals that keeping eggs inside the refrigerators spoil the natural taste and flavor of eggs, so it is wise to keep eggs outside of your fridge.

Ketchup

Having bacteria deterring acids is a boon for ketchup as you can expect to be okay with your ketchup up to more than years without refrigeration. The preservatives used in ketchup are very helpful in maintaining the quality of it for many days even after opening it. So if you have already opened a ketchup bottle and tensed with its decaying, then you will not have to worry anymore.

Tuna

Many people keep their canned tuna in their refrigerator, but they should know that as long as the pack of the tuna fish is sealed, it is safe to keep it at room temperature without causing any damage. Canned tuna has a lot of preservatives which makes it completely fine to keep in the kitchen cupboard rather than in the fridge. Also the taste is better at room temperature rather than having it completely cold.

Citrus Fruits

Chill damage is a common effect of cold temperature to the fruits filled up with citric acid like oranges or lemons. These citrus fruits need natural temperature for ripening, so keeping them inside the refrigerators hampers this process. You will also see some spots as well as dull skin on these types of fruits if kept in the refrigerators.

Cucumber

Cucumber enjoys room temperature, so fridge is not a suitable place for preserving it. You will often see damaged skin on cucumber after bringing out of refrigerator. In fact, cool temperature speeds up the decaying of cucumber’s skin, so find a dry and cool place at room temperature for your cucumber and be worry-free with it for a few days.

Carrot

Like cucumber, the same thing can be applied for carrot. Refrigerating carrots can give you a shocking experience with rotted, water filled carrots within a few days. However carrots do need to be stored in darkness, away from sunlight. Keeping them in a place with high moisture will result in getting spoiled sooner.

Chocolate

It is very usual to see that chocolates are kept inside the refrigerators. You can keep those types of chocolates inside your fridge that are very much prone to diluting due to hot temperature, but most chocolates do not need refrigeration. You can also experience different taste of a chocolate after keeping it in the fridge. So never go for refrigeration for your chocolates unless you notice a huge change in its solid state. If some chocolates become liquid for excessive heat, then you can keep them in your fridge for making solid again.

Cereal

Never be tensed with your cereal as you do not have to put it in the refrigerator in order to keep them fresh. It can be okay without refrigeration. Again, the moisture in the fridge and the low temperature can spoil their texture and make cereal less crunchy.

Flour

Whether you keep flour inside your fridge or not, it has no effect on the flour. So it is up to you whether you want to jam-packed your refrigerator with more foods or not! Never be foolish by making your fridge crowded with unnecessary food items. Flour remains quite okay and fresh if you just keep it in an airtight container. Always select a place for keeping flour. Make sure that the container used for keeping flour is well-dried.

 Pepper

It is a myth that people believe that keeping pepper in the refrigerators preserves them, but in really after keeping them inside the refrigerators, their colors become dull. So red, yellow or green whatever the color of the pepper is, it is safe to say that you can keep them in a dry and cool place. You can also add chili peppers in this group for keeping outside of your refrigerator

Jam

Jam is made with excessive amount of preservatives and for this reason you can preserve jam without keeping it inside your refrigerator. Many people never understand this and they must tend to put their jam after opening the container in their refrigerators, but you can even preserve your opened jam outside of your fridge for many days. You may experience some water inside the jam’s pot, but it is not for keeping the jam outside of your fridge. When you take jam out of the pot, make sure that you are not mixing up any other foods with the jam kept inside the container. Mixing up with other foods and keeping the mixed foods inside a jam container may sometimes cause fast damage of its taste as well as consistency.

Salad Dressings

Vinaigrettes or salad dressings is one item that many people often place in their fridge. However, research has shown that there is no real benefit to doing so. The two main basic components of salad dressings are primarily vinegar and oil. Both of these are ingredients which no one ever refrigerates on their own. The longevity of oils on a shelf has been established and proven. In most instances, salad dressings are usually full of processed ingredients and preservatives anyway. There is one thing to keep in mind though if you make your own salad dressings. Those with certain ingredients such as garlic, fruit juice or nut oil, may require refrigeration.

Apples

They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away since they have so many nutritional benefits. While that is true, there are still a vast majority of people that place apples inside of their fridges. In reality, there is really no need to place them there. Apples normally last about a week or 2 when placed at room temperature. That’s because at room temperatures, the enzymes on apples become more active. However, if you want them to last longer than that, you can store them in your fridge. This all depends on how fast you will end up eating them. Or if you like apples cold or at room temperature. Keep in mind that apples give off a gas. Because of that, when placed next to other fruits, they can end up causing them to ripen faster.

Pears

People may not be aware that unlike many other fruits, pears do not ripen on the tree. That means if you store them at room temperature, they will slowly reach ripening. The end result is reaching a succulent and sweet taste from inside out. What this means is that if you have pears which are not ripe, you should avoid refrigerating them. The cold can delay that process and keep it from being fresh. Once your pears have ripened, you can put them in the fridge to make them last longer though. Be sure to remember this whenever you are picking your pears. Calculate when you are going to be eating them. This way, you can better know exactly what storing preference may be best for you.

Ketchup – Mustard

Both ketchup and mustard contain acids which act as preservatives. Because of that, they do not need to be put in your fridge. In most cases, Dijon, yellow or whole-grain mustards can end up lasting 2 months or longer in a cabinet. On the other hand, ketchup has a shelf life of about 1 month. Others will argue that ketchup can end up lasting much longer. If you and your family use mustard or ketchup frequently, then there is no need to refrigerate them. At the same time, if you feel that you may not use the bottle within that time frame, then you can place it in the fridge to last longer. Also, this decision should be based on whether or not you enjoy putting warm or room temperature ketchup or mustard on your sandwich or food.

EggPlant

Eggplant should be kept away from sunlight and at room temperature. When placed in those surroundings, it is likely to last much longer. Eggplants are temperature sensitive which is why keeping them in a fridge can harm them. Once the temperature drops below 50°F, it can end up damaging both flavor and texture. You should keep eggplant separate from other fruits and vegetables. That’s because they are also highly sensitive to ethylene which is a natural gas. Those gases accelerate the ripening process. In case you want to store them in the fridge, make sure to use them right after you take them out.

Pineapples

Unlike other fruits, pineapples do not continue to ripen once they are harvested. Because of that, refrigerating them is not recommended. If you have a whole and ripe pineapple, it is best to keep them at room temperature. This is even more so if you plan to use the pineapple shortly after buying it. Ripe, uncut pineapples normally last about 3 days outside the fridge. Sometimes, they may last even longer depending on the surroundings. Still, if you are not going to use the fruit within a few days or cut it, then you should store in the fridge. For starters, be sure to keep them in a air tight lid container. The Dole Food company says that a cut pineapple should be kept in a fridge for two to four days. If you want to store it for longer than that, then you can freeze it up to six months.

Sweet Potatoes

Placing sweet potatoes in the refrigerator alters and changes the structure of their cell walls. That ends up making them harder to break down and thus turning them harder than normal. This in turn, will cause them to take longer to cook. For best results, sweet potatoes should be kept in a cool, well-ventilated, dark place. By doing this, it lets the fresh air cure them and they can harvest normally. Also, be sure to keep them away from places with a strong heat source. That means keeping them away from appliances which get hot or the sun. The temperatures should be anywhere between 57 and 63 degrees Fahrenheit. If you keep your sweet potatoes in a cool, dark place, they will end up cooking evenly and softer. Remember to keep an eye on them and try using them before they start to turn or go bad.

Beans – Green Beans

One of the great things about dried beans is that they last indefinitely. Canned beans can last for a few years and fresh beans for about a week. When considering beans, it all depends on the beans themselves. For the most part, beans are classified as legumes. That makes them technically a seed and not a vegetable. If they are green beans though, then they can be considered seeds. Most foods will begin to lose their taste and flavor if they are improperly stored or kept for too long. Unlike other beans, dried beans do not lose their nutritional value. Green beans should be stored in a refrigerator if you plan on keeping them for a long time. Also store them in the fridge if you are not going to use them right away.

Donuts

The vast majority of us love donuts. The problem is the frustration many people face when storing them. Placing donuts in refrigerators often leads them to turn soggy or become stale. Some – such as glazed donuts – can even end up getting sticky. The truth is that there is really no need to place your donuts in the fridge. Refrigeration can cause a moist environment for donuts and other foods. For best results, it is best to keep donuts at room temperature. Store donuts in a dry, cool place in your pantry as this will keep them tasting better. Make sure that you eat your donuts right away. Most donuts taste best when you eat them within a few days after you purchase them.

Salami

No matter the brand of your dry salami, it is usually a long lasting preserved meat. In fact, backpackers boast of the shelf life salami has. Still, there are many people out there who feel the need to refrigerate them. What they don’t realize is that salami is a shelf-stable food. Because of that, it does not require refrigeration. However, the salami can continue to dry out though. Salami needs to breath and cannot do so inside of a fridge. Unless your salami has a label on it which states “Keep refrigerated” then don’t do it. Many people keep salami out of the fridge for years. But we should also remember that eating food right away is always best. The U.S. Department of Agriculture advises people to limit shelf time to six weeks.

Aged Cheese

Most people think that because cheese is mostly made of milk, it requires refrigeration. However, when it comes to aged cheese, that is not always the case. Cheeses such as Gouda, Cheddar or Gruyere are just some of the many which fall in this category. The difference between these cheeses and other regular ones is that they are cured. That curation process normally takes about 6 months or so. Cheeses that are aged, tend to be more sharper, harder and firmer in texture. One of the setbacks of putting cheeses in the fridge, is that they will end up getting harder than normal. Keeping them at room temperature actually lets you enjoy them more. Be sure to avoid placing them in places that are too hot. Heat will cause cheese to get flabby and sweat. Don’t forget to properly wrap your cheeses in order to protect them from moisture and other things.

Canned Olives

There are several different kind of olives available to consumers. Whether or not you should keep them refrigerated vastly depends on the olives themselves. Canned olives do not need to be placed in the fridge. According to several olive distributors, canned olives don’t require refrigeration. However, there are several factors to consider for this option. For one, the olives must be submerged in the brine marinade in which they came in. In addition, they should be kept away from direct sunlight and heat. If you follow these steps, then the olives can last up to 6 months. Keep in mind that marinated olives should be placed in a fridge after opening. To make sure they last even longer, be sure to use an air-sealed tight container. Also, consider removing them from a can and into a plastic air-tight container to avoid contamination.

Unopened Yogurt

If there’s ever a food people will automatically want to refrigerate, it is yogurt. One of the reasons for this is because most of us view yogurt the same way as milk, or milk by products. The fear most people have with products made with milk, is that they will get bacteria. But the big difference is that yogurt is actually made with bacteria. A lot of yogurts contain microbes or “probiotic” in many cases. Moreover, the milk sugar found in yogurt, is converted to lactic acid in trillions of ‘healthy bacteria.’ As long as the yogurt remains unopened, then there’s really no need to place it in the refrigerator. Yogurt can survive and last for a long time outside your fridge. On the other hand, if you like cold tasting yogurt, then you can place it there

Butter

The jury on whether butter should be kept refrigerated or not is still out. Some say that it should be kept in the fridge, others say no. What we do know is that butter and salted butter are not the same. Bacteria growth is less likely to happen in salted butter. Secondly, most of the butter we buy, is made with pasteurized milk. This means that bacteria is less attracted to it. The same cannot be said for products made with high water content. Bacteria loves products made with high water content. We do know that butter will last up to a week out in the open. Still, others will say that butter will last longer when refrigerated. The choice on whether or not to keep in the fridge or out, can vastly depend on how often you use it.

UHT Cow milk

Unlike regular milk that spoils and can catch bacteria very quickly if left out the fridge, UHT cow milk is not the same. That’s because UHT actually stands for Ultra High-Temperature Pasteurization. The process behind this is the milk being heated up to 280 degrees Fahrenheit for about 2 seconds. Doing this ends up killing a lot more bacteria than the traditional pasteurization procedure. Based on this process, UHT cow milk ends up lasting nearly 5 times as long as regular milk. For the most part, they have a longer shelf life of up to six months. These type of milks are great for those that want to store some without worrying about expiration dates. Keep in mind that the shelf life is based on the milk being closed or before you open it.