14 foods you should never put in the refrigerator

When I was learning to cook, I automatically put almost all my groceries in the refrigerator. Cold keeps food fresher, I thought.

So I must say, I was pretty shocked to discover that that’s not really true.

In fact, there are plenty of foods that simply shouldn’t be refrigerated.

Here are 14 foods you should never put in the fridge:

Bananas

To get the most out of these yellow berries (yes, bananas are actually berries!), store them on your kitchen counter. Putting them in the refrigerator makes it harder for bananas to retain their nutrients and also makes bananas ripen slower, according to Healthy Leo.

While that might sound like a good thing, your bananas will turn brown and moldy, while the time when your bananas will be sweet and soft will decrease.

Onions

The best place to store onions is in a dark place at room temperature. However, this only applies to whole onions. If you have half an onion left over from cooking, you should store it in the refrigerator.

Avocados

Finding a perfect, ripe avocado is almost a science in itself. But you make the task much easier for yourself if you store your avocados at room temperature.

The refrigerator slows down the ripening process, so if you put an avocado in the fridge, it will take longer for it to ripen. Only put an avocado in the fridge if its already ripe but you’re not ready to eat it.

Garlic

You’ve probably had this happen to you: you buy a bulb of garlic and before you have time to use it all, green shoots starts growing out from it.

Store it on the kitchen counter and you won’t have this problem. Plus, your garlic won’t become soft and rubbery like it does when you store it in the fridge.

Eggs

If you’ve ever been in a grocery store in southern Europe, you might have noticed that they keep their eggs at room temperature.

There’s been a lot of discussion about this, but the fact is, there’s no good argument for putting eggs in the refrigerator. On the contrary, research shows that eggs lose flavor when stored in the fridge.

If you want the eggs to taste good, it’s a given that you should store them at room temperature.

Bread

Rock-hard bread is probably one of the least inspiring things you could eat.

But the fact is, bread keeps better if you don’t store it in the fridge.

Tomatoes

Ripe tomatoes are one of the most delicious foods on the planet. But putting them in the refrigerator can really change that. The cold air stops tomatoes from ripening and cause them to lose their flavor.

Honey

Honey is one of the few foods that is naturally preserved when stored in an airtight container. And when you put honey in the fridge, it can crystallize, harden, and become difficult to use.

Melons

As long as you don’t cut into a melon, it will last just as long at room temperature. Research shows that storing melons at room temperature helps melons retain their nutrients and antioxidants.

Ketchup

Ketchup contains acids and sugars that makes it last almost indefinitely at room temperature.

Citrus fruits

Oranges, lemons, and other citrus fruits ripen better at room temperature. The cold damages their skin and makes them get moldy easily.

Cucumbers

I’ve always stored cucumbers in the fridge, but they’re actually sensitive to low temperatures. They can easily become watery and soft when they’re kept colder than 50°F (10°C). So if you must put them in the fridge, store them in a plastic bag.

Carrots

Carrots shouldn’t be kept in the fridge. Cold temperatures can make them rot and become watery. They also don’t like sunlight, since they’re used to being underground.

Marmalade

Store bought marmalade and jam is packed with sugars and preservatives, so there’s no need to store them in the fridge.

Jam is easier to spread and tastes better at room temperature.