Stop Refrigerating These Foods!

Ever notice how many of the fruits and vegetables you buy aren't in the coolers or refrigerated section of the store, but somehow they end up in the fridge when you get home? Maybe many of us are just creatures of habit (bad habit), but if no one ever told you, let me be the first to say that there are some foods that SHOULD NOT be refrigerated.

BONUS: Certain packaged foods hit their prime freshness when they are stored at room temperature. Those foods include hot sauce, packaged bread, peanut butter, and even barbecue sauce.

Now, here's a list of 10 you don't need to refrigerate and how you should store them instead:

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1. Onions

Scallions and chives are safe in the fridge (whew!), but moisture will cause onions to soften and become moldy. This is why you should store onions in a cool, dry place and AWAY from potatoes. Potatoes give off moisture and gases that cause onions to rot faster.

2. Avocado

Avocados aren't fans of the cold and won't ripen n the fridge. If you want your avocado to ripen, keep it out of the refrigerator until it's ready to eat.

3. Potatoes

Potatoes are the favorite starch of many, but the refrigerator's cool temps can turn the starch in potatoes to sugar and kill the flavor. A good trick is to store your potatoes in a paper bag (it's more breathable than plastic) in a cool, dark place.

4. Tomatoes

Much like potatoes, tomatoes will lose their flavor in the refrigerator. The cold breaks down the cell walls in tomato flesh, making it mushy, and also stops them from ripening. Store tomatoes at room temp on the counter, away from direct sunlight.

5. Coffee

Your coffee should taste like coffee, not like whatever is in your refrigerator. Unfortunately, fridge-flavored coffee is what you may end up with if you store your beans there. To maintain flavor and freshness, store your coffee in a cool, dark place like the pantry.

6. Garlic

Refrigeration can actually cause garlic to sprout prematurely and become moldy. Your garlic can last as long as two months outside of the fridge when kept in a cool, dry place.

7. Hot Sauce

Hot sauce is all about the flavor and refrigeration can weaken the flavor of some sauces. If you use vinegar-based hot sauce like Tabasco, it's better to store it in the cabinet.

8. Stone Fruits

Fruits with stones like peaches, cherries and plums ripen better at room temperature, stored with the stem side down. You can refrigerate them after they become soft to the touch.

9. Melon

An uncut melon should be stored at room temperature so that it can ripen and sweeten. After you cut into it, leftovers are okay to store in the fridge.

10. Honey