7 Surprising Things You Should Never Keep in Your Fridge
Refrigerating these foods is doing more harm than good.
If your refrigerator is packed to the brim, you aren’t alone. Whether you’re cooking for yourself or an entire household, it’s so easy to assume that shoving all your groceries into the fridge will keep them fresher for longer. While this is definitely the case with some foods, especially perishable items like eggs, meat, and dairy, it isn’t a blanket rule for all store-bought ingredients. In fact, some items that you cook with on a regular basis actually lose their flavor, texture, and quality when they’re chilled.
So, before filling up your fridge after your next grocery haul, double-check that these seven things don’t end up on one of the shelves. In the cold, moist air of your fridge, these foods can spoil quickly or lose their natural flavor and texture, making them harder to use in everyday cooking. For most of the below items, your kitchen counter or a cool, dark cupboard is a much safer spot.
From shelf-stable ingredients to fresh produce, these are the seven foods that should never be refrigerated.
Read these must-know kitchen tips next:
Tomatoes
When you refrigerate tomatoes, the cold temperature of your appliance begins to break down the membranes inside them. This process dilutes the sweet, juicy flavors and turns the firm fruit into a mushy mess. For the freshest taste and texture, let them ripen on the counter instead.
Potatoes
The cold fridge air is not a potato’s best pal. The cool temperature converts the starches of a spud into sugar more quickly, which can surprisingly sweeten their flavor and interfere with the cooking process. (If you wanted sweet potatoes, you’d buy sweet potatoes!) They’re better off stored in a cool, dark pantry.
Onions
Since onions absorb moisture easily, they become soft and moldy in the fridge. These veggies also give off a strong odor that other nearby foods can soak up, which can throw off their natural taste. A better place to keep them? In the pantry or on the counter.
Garlic
You might think garlic lasts longer in the fridge, but the cold, humid air actually shortens its shelf life. Plus, when it’s refrigerated, garlic can sprout quickly and eventually turn rubbery. In a dry, airy container at room temperature, your cloves will last longer and taste fresher.
Bread
Just like garlic, bread deteriorates faster in the fridge. That’s because the cold internal temperature dries out the loaf quickly, which makes it go stale. A nice spot on your counter is a safer route, but if you won’t finish the loaf after a few days, freezing it will extend its shelf life.
Honey
Honey is one food item that never, ever needs refrigeration. When it’s stored in the fridge, the sugars in honey crystallize, transforming the texture into something thick, grainy, and difficult to drizzle. In fact, honey has natural preservatives, so it’ll last in your pantry for years.
Olive Oil
Placing a bottle of olive oil in the fridge can cause the liquid to solidify and develop a cloudy consistency. Even though it’s technically safe to consume, refrigerated olive oil has a weaker quality and flavor. To keep yours intact, store a sealed bottle in a cool, dark spot like a cupboard away from the stove.
Bakers, You’ll Love This Pretty New Rolling Pin
This Pioneer Woman Mat Makes Cooking More Comfy
25 PW Products We’re Loving Right Now
The Pioneer Woman Zester Is a Multitasking Tool
