12 Food Items You Wrongly Store In Your Refrigerator

The refrigerator is a wonderful invention and God bless the person who invented it. Not only does it let us have chilled food and drinks whenever we want, it also saves plenty of food from the trash (at least for some time). However, there are certain foods we tend to toss in the refrigerator that really don't need to go in there. In fact, the fridge actually hurts some of these food items. Here are 12 foods that you should keep away from the refrigerator.

1. Potatoes: When too cold, starches found in potatoes turn to sugar, yielding an off flavor. Keep potatoes stored in a paper bag in a cool, dark cupboard or drawer. Same goes for sweet potatoes.

2. Honey: sitting in the fridge causes honey to crystallize, you don't want that to happen.

3.Tomatoes: Tomatoes actually start losing their flavor and become quite mushy if left in the fridge. Leave on the counter.

4. Apples: Apples, just like tomatoes, start to loose flavor and texture after spending time in the fridge. Leave them on the counter, and refrigerate them for 30 minutes prior to eating if you want it chilled.

5. Onions: The best place for onions is in a paper bag in a cool, dark cabinet or drawer. If stored in the fridge, they soften and impart an oniony scent on nearby foods.

6. Butter: I still wonder why many of us refrigerate butter/margarine. It just causes it to harden and then you have to wait for it to thaw when you want to eat it. Butter is best kept in a dry cool place, and make sure you don't get bread crumbs in it, that is what causes it to grow molds.

7. Bread: You might be tempted to store bread in the fridge, but it actually dries out faster. Instead, store it in a cool place and if you want to keep it for long, freeze it. Warm it up in a microwave or oven when you want to eat it again and it will be as fresh as the day it was baked.

8. Peppers: Red, green, yellow, and even chili peppers are just fine stored in a paper bag in a cool cupboard or drawer. The fridge softens them in a way that isn't nice.

9. Citrus: Store oranges, lemons, and limes at room temperature on your kitchen counter. Just be careful not to bunch them too closely, or they will tend to mold.

10. Ketchup: Ketchup is just fine in your pantry — even after it has been opened. Because of the amount of vinegar and preservatives, it will do just fine (think ketchup packets at your favorite fast-food restaurant).

11. Jam: Due to the high amount of preservatives in jams and jellies, they are also OK to store in the pantry after opening.

12. Spices: Ground spices do not need to be refrigerated. Ever.

Cover image via Sealthatfood