You may think a lot of foods belong in your fridge, but as it turns out, you’re probably storing too much in there.
In some cases, your fridge can help keep foods fresh, especially things in jars and things that, well, go bad in warmth. But in other cases, your fridge could be destroying the taste of your food, or worse, shortening their shelf life.
Recommended Videos
Here are 10 foods you don’t need to store in the fridge:
- Bell peppers: They do best at room temperature. Same goes for other peppers.
- Bread: When in the fridge, bread can get stale quicker. You’re better off freezing your loaf, but it’s also fine on the counter for a while.
- Coffee: Grounds in the fridge sounds like a good idea, but it actually negatively impacts the taste of your coffee. Keep these on the counter for the best flavor.
- Cucumber: Cold makes cucumbers watery and may lead to pits in the skin. Keeping them in an air-tight container in room temp works fine.
- Garlic: Cloves can become rubbery in the fridge. Garlic lasts a while in a dry, cool place, like your pantry.
- Onions: The fridge can turn onions soft and moldy. Keep them in a dry place, away from potatoes.
- Peanut butter: It’s fine at room temp for a few months. If you still have some left, maybe throw it in the fridge.
- Pickles: These are already good in jars. Unless it says to refrigerate them, they’re fine in the pantry.
- Potatoes: Moisture in the fridge can turn the flavor and texture of potatoes. They’re best kept at room temp, perhaps in a paper bag.
- Tomatoes: The fridge will destroy your tomatoes flavor and juiciness. Keep them on the counter, but eat them quick.
- Honey: Honey doesn’t spoil, and doesn’t need to be in your fridge.
---> Related: 7 things you should never throw down your garbage disposal
Here are some things to keep in the fridge:
- Eggs
- Avocados and bananas (after they ripe, to keep them from over-ripening)
- Lemons, oranges and limes
- Butter
- Milks
- Grapes
- Carrots
- Brussels sprouts
- Cheeses
- Cauliflower
- Asparagus
- Broccoli
- Spinach
Here’s a cold food storage safety chart from the USDA:
Follow the guidelines below for storing food in the refrigerator and freezer. The short time limits for home-refrigerated foods will help keep them from spoiling or becoming dangerous to eat. The guidelines for freezer storage are for quality only—frozen foods stored continuously at 0°F (-18°C) or below can be kept indefinitely.
Looking for a specific item? Check out FoodKeeper to find storage tips for over 650 food and beverages.