50 Foods That Don't Belong in the Fridge

According to scientific research, ripe tomatoes should be kept on your counter, uncovered. When kept in the refrigerator, their flavor is affected. The cold temperatures reduce the functionality of the genes that allow the fruit to properly ripen. Chemicals known as "volatiles" are responsible for giving tomatoes a sweeter, more complex taste. Studies have shown that chilling tomatoes for a week greatly change their flavor.

To keep coffee at its best, it should be stored in a dark, airtight container—and not inside your refrigerator. Cool temperatures create moisture, which dulls the taste of coffee beans and grounds. If you want your coffee to keep its aroma and flavor, keep it stored at room temperature. However, if you buy your coffee in bulk and don’t plan on using it right away, you can place it in the freezer for up to a month to keep it fresh.

If you’re attempting to safely store your potatoes, avoid the refrigerator. Uncooked potatoes are best kept in a cool, dry, and dark environment. Low temperatures will turn starch into sugar at a quicker rate, which is why they should never be stored in the fridge.

Nuts belong in the pantry if you plan to eat them in the near future. They will remain fresh at room temperature for a few months. That being said, if you don’t plan to eat them right away, they should be stored in the refrigerator or freezer (just know they may not taste as good when stored at a cooler temperature).

Fresh herbs aren’t the easiest to keep fresh, but that’s most likely because they’re being stored incorrectly. If you keep them in the fridge, they’re being exposed to too much moisture, causing them to become slimy and wilted. Instead, wash and dry herbs and leave them on the counter. If you just prefer to have your herbs in the refrigerator, place them in an air-tight container wrapped in a damp paper towel to keep them from drying out or wilting too quickly.

If you want to extend the shelf life of your onions by up to 30 days, move them from the refrigerator to the pantry. Like potatoes, the starches in onions are converted into sugars at a quicker rate when stored at cooler temperatures. The best way to store onions is by keeping them in a mesh bag in your kitchen cabinet.

Ground spices should always be stored in a kitchen cupboard or on a spice rack. These long-lasting ingredients are best kept at room temperature because they’re affected by heat, light, and moisture.

Watermelons and honeydew melons taste better and last longer when stored at room temperature. According to a study that appeared in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, melons decay in less than a week when stored in the refrigerator—which is reason enough to leave them on your counter rather than in your fridge.

Winter squashes should be kept out of the refrigerator because humidity causes produce to quickly deteriorate. Not only will squash last longer at room temperature, but it will also taste better. In addition, storing any type of winter squash will result in giving them a mushy texture.

If you typically store your garlic in the fridge, remove it immediately. When refrigerated, garlic bulbs grow moldy due to increased moisture. They also begin to sprout because of the cold temperatures—which is an indication that it’s being stored incorrectly. The best way to store garlic is in mesh bags or loosely woven baskets.

The majority of oils you use on a regular basis should be stored in the pantry. Extra-virgin olive oil, canola oil, vegetable oil, and peanut oil taste best when stored in a cool, dry location. To maximize the shelf-life of these cooking oils, keep them out of the direct sunlight as well.

Pumpkins should be stored properly in order to extend their shelf life. Extremely cold and extremely warm temperatures can be harmful to pumpkins, which is why it’s recommended to keep them in a controlled environment—like a pantry or cupboard.

Nutella is a delicious chocolate and hazelnut spread with a relatively short shelf life. Although you may believe storing it in the refrigerator is the best option, the chilly temperatures will harden the product so it’s no longer spreadable. Instead, place your jar of nutella in a cool, dry place and keep the lid tightly sealed.

There’s no need to refrigerate peanut butter. A jar of traditional peanut butter like Jif or Skippy is best kept in a cool, dry environment, and will last for months in your pantry. This allows it to remain creamy and spreadable. An open jar of peanut butter will stay fresh in the cabinet for up to three months, but after that, oil separation can occur.

Apricots, peaches, and mangoes are fruits that continue to ripen after being picked. In order for them to fully ripen, they should be stored at room temperature, away from sunlight and heat. Cold temperatures change the texture and taste of these fruits. Once these fruits ripen within approximately 4-7 days, it is safe to put them in the refrigerator to extend their shelf life.

Flour is a baking staple that should be stored at room temperature. It can last six to eight months past its printed “best by” date if stored in an airtight container in a dark, cool cupboard. Other types of flour that are used infrequently, like whole wheat flour, should be kept in a refrigerator or freezer to extend the shelf life.

Although refrigerators are meant to preserve the freshness of food, bread should never be stored there. Instead, bread should be left on the counter or in the pantry. Cold temperatures cause the starches in bread to regroup and recrystallize, causing it to become stale and dry.

Unripe avocados should be stored at room temperature. They can take four to five days to ripen on the counter and even longer in the refrigerator. To speed up the ripening process, place your avocados in a brown paper bag with an apple or banana and let sit for a few days. These fruits release ethylene—a natural plant hormone that speeds up ripening.

Storing ketchup in the refrigerator may lengthen its shelf life, but it affects its consistency and taste. The high amount of vinegar reacts poorly to cold temperatures, causing ketchup to become runny and watery. If you use this product frequently, keep it out of the refrigerator.

Although apples can be stored in the refrigerator, they taste best when kept in a cool space away from sunlight. Apples stored on the counter will last for up to two weeks. If you can’t eat them quickly enough, they will last for up to three to four weeks in the refrigerator.

Soy sauce can be refrigerated, but that doesn’t mean it should. The high salt content in soy sauce allows it to be kept safely at room temperature for up to six months. Keeping it cold changes the taste and effects the ingredients. Although it really comes down to your personal preference of room temperature or cold condiments, if you’re a heavy user of soy sauce keeping it out of the fridge is fine in this instance as well.

Thanks to the airtight seal on canned goods, an unopened tin of tuna can last for months or even years. The liquid saturates and preserves the tuna, allowing it to have a lengthy shelf life. And because it lasts for so long, it’s the ideal item to keep in your pantry.

Bananas are delicate fruits that can be easily damaged. When they are exposed to extreme temperatures, they become black and bruised. But when they are stored at room temperature, they become yellow, soft, and ready to eat. Also, bananas are a tropical fruit, meaning they are unused to the cold. Keeping them at cold temperatures inhibits ripening.

These are two items that belong on the counter rather than in the refrigerator. Cucumbers are sensitive to cool temperatures and store best at room temperature. Similarly, pickles are also best when kept outside the fridge. The vinegar in pickle jars allows them to remain fresh without being in the refrigerator.

Like other condiments, the high vinegar content in hot sauce allows it sit out without spoiling. It can be safely stored in your pantry or cabinet after opening. Although the color may change slightly over time, it will still taste the same. In addition, most hot sauces are inhospitable to foodborne illnesses, so there is no reason not to keep it in the cabinet.

Contrary to popular belief, it’s perfectly safe to store butter in the cupboard, out of direct sunlight. It doesn’t spoil as quickly as other dairy products and has a shelf life of up to two weeks at room temperature. Plus, butter is more spreadable when not kept in the refrigerator.

Cereal is known to absorb moisture and smells when kept at cooler temperatures. So, regardless of what type of cereal you buy, you should always store it in the pantry. Once open, fold the bag and clip it shut to keep it fresh and tasty. In addition to taking on the smell and taste of other foods in the fridge, keeping cereal cold can actually damage the texture, too.

Always avoid putting chocolate in the refrigerator. Cold temperatures affect the taste, color, and texture of this sweet treat—making it less desirable. It’s also known to absorb the smell of surrounding foods, so it’s best when stored away from other oxidizing food items. In addition, when chocolate is stored in the fridge, something called “sugar bloom” happens. The blooms can be seen on the surface of the chocolate and it changes the texture of it to gritty and grainy.

Jellies and Jams are sealed in airtight jars, increasing the longevity of these products. They’re best kept in the pantry because the preservatives keep them fresh and the neutral temperatures keep them moist. Jam or jelly will stay fresh for up to 30 days unrefrigerated.

Honey doesn’t ever go bad, per se, but its color and consistency can change. When stored at room temperature, honey remains fresh. But when stored in the refrigerator, it quickly crystallizes, turning the thick, golden liquid into a sugary mass.

Fresh basil is a delicate plant that just can't take the cold in a refrigerator. If you're storing it in there, it's likely to wilt long before it would otherwise. Ideally, it should be stored in a jar with water on the counter. 

More often than not, a cake will be perfectly fine stored on the counter. Common cake icings like buttercream or ganache do just fine outside the fridge, and if your cake is stored in an airtight container, it should stay fresh for two or three days. 

Pears are another fruit that don't require refridgeration. In fact, storing them somewhere cold can actually reduce their crispness. These will do much better on the counter. 

Unlike some fruit, lemons and limes will do fine in the fridge--the cold doesn't drastically alter their texture or taste. However, there's just no good reason to keep them there, and that goes double if you're already short on fridge space. 

Fresh berries are not going to last long no matter where you store them. In the counter or on the fridge, they'll start to go bad after just a few days. That being said, there's nothing special about the refrigerators that will keep them fresher longer. 

Whether or not you should refrigerate your eggs depends on where you live. Eggs are processed in an unusual way in the United States which doesn't make them ideal for leaving out on the counter. However, it's very common to see eggs unrefrigerated in other parts of the world like Europe. 

This one might seem like it should go without saying, but we've seen people refrigerating some pretty strange things! Dry beans are perfectly fine stored in the pantry and will keep for a really long time no matter where they're located in the kitchen. 

Like butter, lard and shortening don't require any refrigeration even though it feels like they should--lard, at least. To help reassure customers, most containers for these products explicitly say that no refrigeration is necessary. 

You're not doing yourself any favors by storing tortillas in the fridge. In fact, you're sort of creating more trouble for yourself. Since most people warm up their tortillas before eating them, putting them in the cold is just moving you further away from that goal. 

The fridge is not an ideal place for an eggplant. When it's stored in temps below 50 degrees, things start to happen to its taste and texture. They keep best in a cool spot away from the sun on your counter. 

Spicy, mild, or in between--peppers don't belong in the fridge. This is especially true if they haven't quite ripened yet. The cold temps in a refrigerator will stop the ripening process in its tracks. 

Pineapples are yet another fruit that are going to suffer in the fridge. A good rule of thumb is this--if it comes from a tropical climate then it probably belongs on the counter and not a cold refrigerator. 

Green beans are one of the more finicky vegetables out there. On the one hand, a cold refrigerator is going to make them go bad faster. But on the other hand, if your home is unusually hot, the heat can actually damage them, too. In which case, it probably is best to keep them in the fridge. 

Where you store your grapes depends on how old they are. If they're a little underripe, keeping them on the counter can help improve their taste, but if they're nearing the end of their freshness, it's probably best to go ahead and toss them in the fridge. 

Okra is a vegetable that prefers the heat, so it will unsurprisingly suffer in the fridge. In fact, storing okra in the fridge can lead to it developing brown spots very quickly. 

Plums will need a little change of scenery as they go through their life cycle. If yours aren't quite ripe, keeping them out on the counter will help encourage that process. However, once they're ripe, it's best to keep them in the fridge so that they don't go mushy as quickly. 

Like most condiments, mustard will do fine in the fridge, but it's perfectly safe to store on the counter or in the pantry. Vinegar makes up a big part of most mustard recipes, and since it's such a great preservative, mustard doesn't need the cold safety of the fridge. 

BBQ sauce contains several ingredients that help preserve it and make it safe for storage outside of the fridge. That being said, specialty sauces that contain dairy or eggs should probably be put in the refrigerator. 

Not all cheeses can be safely stored outside of the refrigerator, but some can. Soft cheeses, like cream cheese, should always be stored in the fridge to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria. However, hard cheeses, like cheddar, can safely be stored on the counter. 

Velveeta may be masquerading as a soft cheese, but this processed cheese product doesn't follow the same rules. It's perfectly fine to store it at room temperature, which is why you normally won't find this product refrigerated at the grocery store.