Top 10 foods that you should never store in your fridge

Many of us are of the opinion that keeping foods in cold environments keeps them fresher for longer. Unfortunately, this is not true for all foodstuffs and you may be storing your food in the wrong place. Not everything belongs in the fridge. Here are 10 foodstuffs that you should avoid keeping in the refrigerator and why.  1. Potatoes Potatoes should ideally be stored in paper bags or net bags in a cool, dry place such as inside your pantry. Storing potatoes in the fridge turns the starch into sugar causing your potato to be sweet, gritty and will discolor once cooked. Do not wash before storing as the dampness will accelerate spoilage. 2. Onions Onions should not be stored in the fridge as the moisture will soften them and cause them to become mushy. Store them in a dry, well-ventilated area and make sure it is dark to avoid sprouting.  3. Tomatoes Storing tomatoes in the fridge damages the membrane inside the tomato which then alters the taste and flavor. Refrigerated tomatoes taste a bit watery and unripe. Keep them in a bowl or basket on the counter. They will ripen and increase their flavor.  4. Garlic Garlic should be stored in a cool and dry place. Putting them in the fridge will cause them to sprout and turn rubbery. 5. Bread Bread is a common foodstuff that is wrongly stored in the fridge. Keeping bread in the fridge makes it tough and chewy. This also accelerates its process to go stale due to the moist and cold temperature. 6. Honey Keeping honey in the fridge will cause it to crystallize leaving it grainy and lumpy. Honey stays fresh and smooth when stored outside. Make sure that it is tightly sealed. 7. Avocados Keep your avocados in open brown bags and outside the fridge. Putting them in the fridge hinders their ripening process. Storing avocados near bananas will accelerate their ripening process.  8. Bananas If you have bought bananas that still need to ripen, you should not put them in the fridge. The cold temperatures will turn them mushy and black as they do not have a natural defense in the cold. However, ripe bananas are safe to keep in the fridge.  9. Melons Keeping your uncut melons in the fridge can have a chilling effect on them which in turns affects their nutritional value. Melons are best kept on the fruit rack. You can however wrap sliced pieces of melon in cling film and refrigerate.  10. Olive Oil Keeping olive oil in the fridge will cause it to condense and turn into a hard, butter-like consistency. Like other oils, olive oil should be stored in a cool and dark place.