Stop Storing These 13 Foods In Your Refrigerator

While we often think of the refrigerator as a food preserver, a few foods and ingredients are better off without refrigeration, as refrigerating them can cause them to spoil faster or cause negative changes in texture. 

Refrigerators have greatly improved how we store foods, but they aren’t ideal for everything. While you may know some of these items, I think some of them will come as a surprise.

We’re sharing 13 foods that don’t need to be refrigerated. If there are any you're wondering about, check FoodKeeper; you can search by ingredients, and it will share the best storage instructions for maximum freshness and quality. No more wondering.

Tomatoes

There are several convincing reasons not to refrigerate your tomatoes. Refrigerating them can cause them to lose that sweet, summer flavor, take on odors from other food items in the refrigerator, and develop a mealy texture. 

Store at room temperature for a few days, out of the sun. If they are ripe, store the stem side up and if they aren't ripe yet, you can encourage ripening by storing the stem side down.

Cucumbers 

This was a new one to me, and a bit surprising! When we refrigerate cucumbers, they can develop “chilling injuries” which can cause damage to the skin, a watery texture, and mushiness.

Store them on the counter for a few days, but if you prefer to refrigerate them, there are a few things you can do to protect them. Wrap them in a paper towel and place the wrapped cucumbers in a plastic bag to give them a few layers of protection.  

Onions

Onions with the peel intact can absorb excess moisture in the refrigerator, which will cause them to get mushy and spoil faster. Instead, store onions in a cool and dark place, away from moisture. 

Once they are peeled, refrigeration is recommended and they will last for 7-14 days. Even then, they typically don’t mold or spoil like other veggies, they just get a little dry.   

Potatoes 

There are a few effects of refrigeration on potatoes. According to the FDA, the cold temperature in refrigerators will cause potato starch to turn to sugar, which makes them sweeter and also gives them a gritty texture. When refrigerated potatoes are cooked at a high temperature, a chemical called acrylamide can form. They can also start sprouting early in the refrigerator.

Keep potatoes dry and store in a cool, dark, and well-ventilated space, and don’t store them next to apples!

Avocados 

If you need to ripen your avocados to get them to the elusive “just right” ripeness, you definitely don’t want to keep them in the fridge. Storing them on the counter at room temperature will allow them to ripen at a natural pace and if you need to speed it up, you can put them in a paper bag. 

When your avocados are ripe and you aren’t ready to eat them, then it’s time to move them to the fridge to slow down the ripening process. I like to do this a day before they are just right to extend the perfect ripeness time even more.

Bananas 

Similar to avocados, refrigeration will stop the ripening process of bananas. It will also turn the peel black, which doesn’t always affect the flavor, but if you have kids, you know black bananas can be a hard sell.   

Once they are ripe, you can refrigerate them to stop the ripening, but they will still turn mushy and black and are also subject to “chilling injuries” which will alter the flavor and can turn them bitter. Too many ripe bananas? Peel and freeze them in small slices to throw into smoothies or make a batch of mini banana muffins.

Berries 

The worst thing for berries? Moisture! If you’ve ever washed berries and let them sit without properly drying them, you’ll notice they get mushy almost immediately. The humidity in the refrigerator can cause berries to absorb the moisture, which will cause them to spoil faster. 

They should last for 1-2 days at room temperature and if you are going to store them in the refrigerator, transfer them to a shallow dish lined with a paper towel to absorb excess moisture and prevent them from bruising each other. 

Honey 

Given that honey is a natural food, it is understandable that you may assume it needs to be refrigerated, but it’s better stored at room temperature. 

Refrigeration will cause the honey to crystallize and it will turn thick, making it hard to drizzle or pour. Store at room temperature for up to two years.

Peanut Butter

Peanut butter doesn’t require refrigeration and in some types, it can even make it difficult to spread. Even though natural peanut butter, made without hydrogenated oils or stabilizers, don't contain preservatives, it’s ok to store at room temperature and will make it a lot easier to use it.

Store peanut butter in the pantry for up to 2-3 months after opening or 3-4 months in the refrigerator after opening. 

Hot Sauce

Given the amount of fridge space that hot sauce takes up at my house, this was the food I was most excited to learn about and transfer out of the fridge. 

The vinegar in hot sauce can preserve hot sauce at room temperature for up to six months, so as long as you use it within that time frame, it’s good to store in the pantry. 

Ketchup 

Similarly to the hot sauce, ketchup is another surprising food that doesn’t need to be refrigerated. This is why it isn’t uncommon to see it sitting out on tables at restaurants. 

Store in your pantry for up to six months, but if you don’t go through it that fast, you’ll want to store it in the refrigerator. 

Bread

While it sounds counterintuitive, bread will dry out faster in the refrigerator, so it’s best to store it at room temperature for a few days, depending on the type of bread. Some commercial breads made with preservatives will last longer than that. 

If you can’t eat your bread fast enough, store it in the freezer for 2-3 months and take out slices as you need them. 

Cake 

Cake is similar to bread, and refrigeration can cause it to go stale faster than storing it at room temperature. This is because the starch molecules crystallize, and water is forced to the surface, which then evaporates, leaving a dry crumb. 

There is an exception, though. Cheesecakes or cakes made with cream cheese, whipped cream, or fresh fruit should be refrigerated. Of course, if your kitchen is warm or hot, frosting can start to melt, so transfer it to the fridge to keep it cool.