12 Food Items You Should Leave Out of the Fridge

After coming home from grocery shopping, most people usually take food items straight to the refrigerator to “preserve” them. However, several things are better left on your kitchen counter. 

If you have these inside your fridge, better take them out immediately if you don’t want to risk ruining its texture and taste. Here are 12 food items that you shouldn’t refrigerate.

Onions

Whether you prefer white or red onions, these vegetables are staples in Filipino kitchens. Some households usually purchase these in bulk and store it for everyday cooking. To prolong the life of your trusty onion bulbs, store them in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. Avoid putting it inside the fridge because the moisture can turn onions soft and moldy.

However, when you only have to use a portion of it, you can store the unused part in a resealable bag and put it in your vegetable drawer. Just make sure not to put onions beside potatoes as these can deteriorate faster when stored together.

Garlic

Just like onions, garlic is also a must-have in Pinoy households. To preserve the garlic’s powerful flavor for your Sinangag and Garlic Butter Shrimp, store them in a cool, dry, and well-ventilated container. Once you break the head open, the garlic cloves should be used within 10 days.

Potatoes

Putting potatoes inside your fridge will just break down its starches and make them gritty. It can also affect the flavor of the spuds. Instead, store these in paper bags—somewhere cool, dry, and dark is best for potatoes.  Avoid using plastic bags for storage as they can trap moisture and speed the decay. As long as you don’t put them next to onions, potatoes should last up to 3 weeks.

Honey

Refrigerating honey doesn’t affect its quality, but it can be a headache to scoop out when it thickens and crystallizes. All-natural honey can stay fresh for quite a long time even at room temperature. Leaving it out of the fridge is more for your convenience.

Avocado

You shouldn’t refrigerate avocados until it ripens. Once it goes ripe, though, you can put it inside for a week. If possible, keep it whole to prevent the flesh from browning due to air exposure. If you have a bunch of unripe avocados and can’t wait to make an avocado dessert or put it on your toast, then putting it inside a paper bag on top of your fridge can speed up the process—placing bananas near avocados could help, too!

Hot Sauce

You can actually keep hot sauce in your pantry for up to 3 years, so there’s no need to store it in your fridge. The vinegar used to make it is enough to prevent the growth of bacteria. Also, if you’re a sucker for anything spicy, room temperature makes the heat of the peppers stronger.

Coffee

It’s known that coffee can absorb odors in your refrigerator. This is a good thing if this is what you intended to do, but not when you’re planning to make a cup of joe. The condensation inside the fridge can also affect the flavor of ground coffee or coffee beans. Give your coffee-loving self a favor and just keep coffee inside an airtight container in your pantry.

Bread

Storing bread inside the fridge can make it dry out quicker and become tough and less tasty. Unless you’re planning to eat it within the next few days, store your sliced bread inside the freezer or on your kitchen counter and just pop it in your toaster when you feel like having one.

Tomatoes

If you don’t want your tomatoes to lose its flavor, then you probably should just store it on your counter. The cold temperature also halts the ripening process, messes with the texture, and makes them all mushy—not the texture you want for your salad. If it has not fully ripened yet, store it near windows. If it becomes too ripe, you can probably make it into homemade tomato sauce for your Chicken Afritada or Pork Menudo.

Melons

Whether its watermelon, honeydew, or cantaloupe, whole melons don’t belong inside refrigerators. This will just decrease the antioxidants it provides. However, it’s a different story once you cut it. You can stash it in the fridge for about 3 to 4 days—perfect for quick snacks during the hot summer days.

Oils

It’s a no-brainer that oils shouldn’t be stored someplace cold. Although it doesn’t really pose lasting damage, it can make oils cloudy and harden. Like honey, not storing oils inside your fridge is also about convenience. Unless, of course, you have the time and patience to wait for it to dissolve to its original liquid form.

Chocolate-Hazelnut Spread

Ah, every other sweet-loving Filipinos’ guilty pleasure. Some people store it inside the fridge to keep it away from ants, but it actually has an effect on the flavor. The distinct chocolate flavor of this popular spread is not that intense when it’s chilled. Plus, it’s more spreadable when kept at room temperature.