Whilst it is commonly accepted that there are many different things that benefit from being stored in the refrigerator, there are certain foods which actually spoil faster thanks to the chilled environment of your fridge. Items such as bread and tomatoes should be kept out of the refrigerator to help them to stay fresher for longer.
- Bread
Bread is Britain’s most wasted food, with up to 32% of the bread bought in British households ending up in the bin. Storing bread in the fridge makes it dry out far quicker than if it is kept in a bread bin in your kitchen. - Onions
Onions enjoy an environment in which air can circulate freely and unfortunately the fridge does not quite offer this. Similarly, putting your onions next to the potatoes will cause the onions to spoil in a rapid manner. - Potatoes
The best place to keep your spuds is in a brown paper bag, which keeps the potatoes away from the light. Plastic does not allow the potatoes access to enough air, whilst a fridge will kill the flavour very rapidly. - Avocado
Once ripe, an avocado will last for about a week in the fridge, but shouldn’t go in there beforehand. To ripen one, place it in a brown paper bag with a banana for company. - Sauces and ketchups
Condiments such as hot sauce, ketchup or Worcestershire sauce should be kept in a store cupboard, and can last for quite some time without ever needing to go near your fridge freezer. - Tomatoes
Both the flavour and texture of a tomato will be destroyed by keeping it in your fridge, instead (there’s a theme emerging here) a brown paper bag is the ideal place to keep your tomatoes in the best condition. - Coffee
The moist environment of a fridge will affect the quality of coffee. It is always best to keep this drink in an airtight container prior to use. - Winter squashes
Squashes like butternut squash or a pumpkin will last for up to a month or so kept out of the fridge. The flavour can be deadened by chilling your squashes. - Oils
Oils like olive or sunflower oil will begin to take on a strange look and texture if they are kept chilled. They will keep for quite some time if stored in your store cupboards. - Garlic
The lifespan and flavour of garlic are greatly reduced by being stored in fridges like the ones available at fridgefreezerdirect.co.uk. - Honey
Outside of a freezer, honey can last indefinitely. Chilled, honey will take on a crystallised and lumpy appearance. - Melons
Intact melons should be kept out of the fridge. Only once a melon has been cut into will it benefit from being stored in the fridge. - Soft fruit
Soft fruit like berries and peaches should be allowed to ripen out of the fridge. Their flavour is affected by being chilled. - Basil
Basil will absorb all of the flavours of the other foods around it if it is kept within a fridge. - Butter
Unless it is the summertime, butter needs to be kept in the kitchen, otherwise it will be too hard to use effectively.