16 foods you should never put in your refrigerator

Jacob Shamsian,Caroline FoxMay 22, 2020, 02:44 IST

Get those tomatoes out of there.Andrey_Popov/Shutterstock

Using your refrigerator to store foods can be essential to keeping ingredients fresh.
At the same time, the cool air can have a negative effect on plenty of your groceries.
Cold air can break down root vegetables like potatoes and onions, and bread can dry up if kept in a chilly environment.

Your refrigerator is meant to keep food fresh, but cold temperatures do not work for every grocery item.

For example, root vegetables like potatoes and onions actually rot faster. And if you're worried about fitting your watermelon in your fridge, just keep it out on the counter. Melons only need to be kept in the fridge once they're cut open.

There is an art and science to organizing your refrigerator. Keep reading to find out what should be left on the counter.

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Instead of struggling to find space for watermelons in your fridge, keep them on the counter until they have been sliced open.

Only refrigerate your melon once it is sliced. AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

Bananas should be left to ripen at room temperature.

Bananas rot faster in moist environments. Sandra Mu/Getty Images

Cold temperatures break down the starch in potatoes, causing them to taste sweeter.

Keeping potatoes in a cool and dark spot is best. Joey Hadden/Insider

Similar to melons, if onions are sliced, place them in the refrigerator. But if they are whole, the fridge will only make them mushy and moldy.

The fridge does not help onions stay fresh. NUM LPPHOTO/Shutterstock

If you ever notice your garlic starting to grow sprouts, it is a sign you aren't storing it properly.

If your garlic is extra soft, it has begun to spoil. Shutterstock

Cold temperatures are what jump-starts the crystallizing process in honey, so it's best to store your jar at room temperature.

Room temperatures help honey maintain its gooey consistency. Shutterstock

Tomatoes belong on the counter or windowsill.

Cold temperatures serve no good for tomatoes. Serhii Yushkov/Shutterstock

Hot sauce usually has enough vinegar to keep it fresh without you having to leave it in the fridge.

The heat coming from peppers is much more potent at room temperature. David McNew/Getty

Similar to hot sauce, ketchup also belongs in the pantry, not the fridge.

Ketchup can preserve itself on the counter. Hollis Johnson/Insider

Refrigerating your bread only dries it out.

If you have too much bread on your hands, it's better to place a loaf in the freezer to preserve its freshness. Caroline Fox/Insider

Nutella or any hazelnut chocolate spread only loses its flavor in cold temperatures.

If you want Nutella to remain spreadable, store it at room temperature. Alberto Pellaschiar/AP

Apples will stay perfectly ripe on your counter and brighten up your kitchen.

You can place your apples in the fridge if you haven't eaten them after two weeks of sitting out. Joey Hadden/Insider

Olive oil begins to clump under colder temperatures and is best left on the countertop.

Keep your olive oil by the spices instead of deep in your fridge. Iurii Stepanov/Shutterstock

The humidity in the fridge can alter the taste of your coffee beans, so it's better to keep them sealed tight in the pantry.

Keep your coffee beans in a sealed container. Noor Khamis / Reuters

Just like coffee beans, nuts also are best stored in a sealed container at room temperature.

Keep your nuts in the pantry for optimal freshness. Shutterstock

If you're waiting for your peaches, nectarines, plums, and apricots to ripen, just keep them at room temperature.

Keep your peaches on the countertop where you won't be able to resist them. Shutterstock

The old legend of keeping batteries in the refrigerator is just wrong.

OK, it's not food, but this needs to be said. Shutterstock

A bartender shares 6 easy cocktails to make at home with just a few ingredients

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