store them in the refrigerator for three to four days.
4. Potatoes
Potatoes like cool, not cold temperatures.
They do best at around 45 degrees F, which is about 10 degrees warmer than the average refrigerator. Most of us don’t have a root cellar (a cool, dark place to store root vegetables like potatoes), so keeping them in a paper bag in a coolish spot (like a pantry) is best. Why paper? It’s more breathable than plastic so potatoes won’t succumb to rot as easily.
And why not the fridge? Storing potatoes at cold temperatures converts their starch to sugar more quickly, which can affect the flavor, texture, and the way they cook.
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3. Pickles
High on preservatives, pickles will stay fresh outside the fridge. Store it in an open space, so air can move around it.
2. Onions
Onions don’t come out of the ground with that protective papery skin.
To develop and keep that dry outer layer, they need to be “cured” and kept in a dry environment like a pantry, which is not as damp as the refrigerator. Also, lack of air circulation will cause onions to spoil, as will storing them near potatoes, which give off moisture and gas that can cause onions to spoil quickly.
Store onions in a cool, dry, dark, well-ventilated place. (Light can cause the onions to become bitter.) Scallions and chives, however, have a higher water content, bruise more easily, and have a shorter shelf life, so store these alliums in the fridge.
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1. Avocados
Avocados don’t start to ripen until after they’re picked from the tree.
If you’re buying a rock-hard avocado, don’t store it in your refrigerator, as it slows the ripening process. On the other hand, if you have a perfectly ripe avocado that you’re not ready to use, storing it in the refrigerator may work to your advantage by prolonging your window of opportunity to use it before it becomes overripe.
So the bottom line on storing avocados is to store hard, unripe avocados on your counter and store ripe avocados in your refrigerator if you’re not going to eat them right away.