8 Foods You Should Avoid Storing in the Refrigerator

Refrigeration goes a long way towards preserving food but for some foods never belong in your refrigerator. Storing these foods in the fridge when you shouldn’t can alter their flavor, change the texture and even cause the food to spoil faster.

Refrigeration goes a long way towards preserving food while certain foods will maintain flavor and freshness best if not subjected to cold. Here are some food that you should avoid storing in the refrigerator.

1. Tomatoes

Tomatoes are very delicate in nature, and they lose their flavor and texture when refrigerated. Cold temperature damages the membranes along the fruit’s walls, making them lose flavor and become mushy. Plus, cold air stops the ripening process.

One of the best places to store unripe tomatoes is on the counter at room temperature. To speed up ripening, put them in a paper bag. Also, keep them stem-side down. If you have overripe tomatoes, you can store them in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days before they go bad completely.

2. Potatoes

When too cold, the starches found in potatoes turn into sugar, yielding an off flavor. Keep potatoes stored in a paper bag in a cool, dark place. Same goes for sweet potatoes.

3. Onions

Do not store onions in the refrigerator. Due to moisture, onions will turn soft and moldy. However, you can store chopped or sliced onions in a sealed container in your refrigerator for a few days. Keep the temperature at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below.

Onions should be kept in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area in the mesh bag they came in. Do not store them in plastic bags, as lack of air circulation can affect their shelf life.

4. Bread

Bread should not be stored in the refrigerator. Wheat flour, the primary ingredient in bread, is packed full of granules of starch. When exposed to moisture, the starch breaks down and becomes increasingly amorphous. This causes the bread to dry out quickly. Plus, it actually gets stale faster.

5. Melons

Melons should not be stored in the refrigerator. In a 2006 study, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) researchers found that when stored at room temperature, watermelons have more antioxidants (lycopene and beta carotene) than when stored in the refrigerator.

So, instead of keeping the melons in the refrigerator, leave them on your counter at room temperature. However, if you hav cut or sliced melons, you can cover them and store in the refrigerator.

6. Avocado

Avocados need to be ripe before they are refrigerated. Once, ripe, they will last for up to a week in the fridge.

7. Stone Fruits

Stone fruits are those that have seeds or pits in them that are relatively large compared to the size of the fruit. Examples of stone fruits include peaches, apricots, cherries and plums.

There is no need to keep stone fruits in the refrigerator. Cold temperature and humidity can quickly affect their quality and flavor, and turn them into a moldy mess.

8. Honey

Honey doesn’t need to be stored in the refrigerator. Extreme cold or hot temperatures can spoil its taste and texture. When exposed to cold temperature, honey may begin to crystallize.

Room temperature helps preserve your honey’s natural goodness. To keep honey fresh, store it in an airtight, glass container. Avoid storing it in metal or non-food-grade plastic containers, as they can cause oxidization of the honey. Keep the container in a dry, cool place out of direct sunlight.