Space in your refrigerator is at a premium. Organisation-savvy mums play Tetris trying to squeeze things in. While your refrigerator is supposed to keep food fresher for longer, certain kinds of food actually don’t need to be stored in your fridge. In fact, some foods shouldn’t be stored in your fridge, as doing so could affect their taste and quality.
Here’s a list of foods that you should take out of your fridge to free up some space and keep your food fresher as well.
15 foods that don’t need to live in your fridge
1. Potatoes
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Storing potatoes in your fridge can actually ruin their flavor and make them rot faster. Put them in paper bags and store in cool, dry pantries instead.
2. Onions
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Like potatoes, onions become mushy or mouldy if left in the fridge for long periods of time. It’s best to keep them in a dry, well-ventilated areas. Note: keep them away from potatoes, as they can make onions rot faster.
3. Tomatoes
The cold temperature in the fridge ruins the texture of tomatoes, making them mealy. Keeping them in a bowl on your counter would be a lot better for them.
4. Honey
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Honey doesn’t spoil, and thus doesn’t need to be refrigerated. Go free up that space!
5. Coffee
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Coffee tends to absorb the smells around it, so storing coffee (beans or ground) in your fridge will leave them tasting peculiar. The moisture in the fridge will also take away some of your coffee’s flavor.
6. Garlic
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Like potatoes and onions, storing garlic in the fridge will ruin its texture and makes it susceptible to mould growth. Once you’ve broken a head of garlic, use it within 10 days for optimal freshness and flavour.
7. Bread
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Storing bread in the fridge makes them go stale faster. Instead, keep your bread in sealed plastic bags, at room temperature.
8. Peanut butter
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Unless you have the organic kind, nut butters don’t need to be refrigerated. They can keep in your pantry for months!
9. Rice
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Only cooked rice needs to be stored in the fridge. Dry rice can be stored in your pantry for years—up to 10 years for white rice (if stored in an air-tight container), and up to 2 years for brown rice.
10. Dried beans
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Dried beans, like rice, also don’t need refrigeration. Putting them in the fridge can actually make the grow sprouts.
11. Ketchup and mustard
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These condiments can last a month without refrigeration, as their acids keep bacteria from growing.
12. Basil
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As a rule of thumb, most herbs need to go in the fridge, with basil being the exception. Just snip off the ends of the stems and keep the bunch in a glass of water. Remember to change the water every couple of days, or when it gets cloudy.
13. Soy sauce
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Common condiments like soy sauce or fish sauce don’t need to take up room in your fridge. While keeping them inside the refrigerator prolongs their quality, they stay fresh for up to 2 years. Keep the bulky sauce bottles on the counter or in your pantry to save valuable space in the fridge.
14. Salted Butter
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Contrary to popular belief, salted butter doesn’t need to stay in the fridge. Since it’s made from roughly 80 per cent fat, there is low water content. Also, it contains pasteurised milk. When you combine these two factors, this lowers the risk of bacterial growth right down. Simply store butter in an airtight container at room temperature and leave it on your counter.
Bear in mind that unsalted butter needs to stay in the fridge!
15. Peppers
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Bell peppers or spicy peppers stop ripening when you leave them in your refrigerator. Leave them on your kitchen counter or in a well-ventilated area like the pantry to use when you’re ready.