Refrigerators are an amazing tool, but I think people get a little too used to the idea of having one sometimes. There are a lot of things you have probably been refrigerating your whole life that you should not be.
Certain foods will maintain flavor and freshness best if not subjected to cold, condensed air. So, when you bring in a pile of groceries and realize your fridge is overflowing there is no need to panic. Refrigeration goes a long way towards preserving food but for some foods refrigeration can actually lessen the flavor, change the texture, and occasionally even cause the food to spoil at a faster rate.
Here some of the items you should never refrigerate!
Bread
There are some people who hold strong to the belief that you should always refrigerate bread because they believe it will keep longer in the fridge. These people are also eating some very dried out bread.
Coffee
The problem with keeping coffee in the refrigerator is that it tends to be a sponge for everything left around it. The moist air of a refrigerator is also not very good for the flavor of the coffee either. Keep it sealed and stored in a dry place.
Hot Sauce
Over time, the consistency and flavor of hot sauce will change when stored in the refrigerator, which is why it is best not to store it in there. They are preserved with salt and will stay good for a long time outside of the refrigerator
Soy Sauce
While it may seem like a good idea to store the salty sauce in the refrigerator, it is actually best when stored at room temperature.
Avocado
Avocados need to be ripe before they are refrigerated. Once, ripe, they will last for up to a week in the fridge.
Tomatoes
Sure, you can refrigerate them if you want to obliterate them of all their flavor and texture. Ever made a salad with a tomato that had a mushy consistency and practically had ice on the inside? Chances are they have been needlessly stored in the refrigerator.
Honey
Luscious honey will turn into crystallized gunk if it is stored in the fridge. Store it at room temperature and out of direct sunlight for happy honey.
Potatoes
When too cold, the starches found in potatoes turn into sugar, yielding an off flavor. Keep potatoes stored in a paper bag in a cool, dark place. Same goes for sweet potatoes.
Bananas
Whether or not you refrigerate bananas actually comes down to what sort of ripeness you like with bananas, since the cold temperature within the fridge tends to slow down the ripening process.
Garlic
Never put garlic in the fridge! Garlic tends to go off pretty quickly, it will grow mold and rubbery soft when you put it into the fridge. What makes it worse is that the look on the outside rarely changes, so you will never be able to tell until you decide to slice come up to fry up with your chili and prawns.
Melon
It is mostly advised to store any melon fruit in the fridge once it is already cut open; however until then, you should leave the fruit outside the fridge. There has been research to show that keeping melon out in room temperature will actually help with keeping antioxidant levels intact.
Stone Fruit
Fruits like apricot, peaches, nectarines and plums should be left at room temperature. If you are unable to gobble them up fast enough, only then should they be put in the fridge.
Apples
Storing apples in the refrigerator will cause them to lose their crisp fresh flavor.