Stop storing 5 common items in the fridge even when weather’s hot

When the weather gets warmer, especially above the late 20s, people start to panic and think the best place to store all their produce is the fridge. But that’s not the case at all, as the fridge can negatively affect some things.

While a nice bar of chocolate may retain its shape a whole lot better in this circumstance, certain products should never be put in there, because it’ll completely ruin the way they taste, and even the texture.

Which? has shared the five things you should never store in your fridge to help assist those who may be confused about what to do for the best, and some suggestions may shock you.

Cucumbers

Which? warns that “cold conditions can cause the skin to shrivel up and the inside to become soft,” which is not what you want when you’re making a tuna and cucumber sandwich for lunch.

The top tip about cucumbers was to store them “at room temperature”. If you want to pop them in a salad, there’s a compromise you can make if you want to use your fridge for cucumbers. You can “refrigerate them an hour before prep for a refreshing chill without affecting their texture”. Perfect!

Tomatoes

Low temperatures can impact the temperature and taste of tomatoes, according to Which?, so they share it’s much better to keep the fruit “at room temperature” as “chilling tomatoes inhibits the activity of enzymes inside that help give it its flavours”.

Bananas

If you put your bananas in the fridge, you need to realise they’re going to “go black,” so this is less than ideal.

Which? shared: “Keep bananas somewhere nice and cool to make them last longer.”

It’s also really important to store bananas separately from other fruits, as they can cause them to ripen too quickly if they’re just placed in a fruit bowl with other items.

Bread

Keeping bread in the fridge is a massive no-no, as it can “dehydrate the loaf, leaving you with stale tasting slices”.

Which? did some testing and found “storing bread in a cotton or plastic bag will keep it mostly soft, with just a little dryness around the edges”.

Onions

Onions should never be stored in the fridge because the “moisture in the fridge will turn them soft and mouldy”.

Instead, aim to store them somewhere “cool and dry” and “keep sliced onions in a sealed container in the fridge or freezer”.

In the comments, someone asked: “Curious to know who routinely stores bananas and bread in the fridge?”

Others pointed out in some places, room temperature is “literally 30 degrees right now,” so they were struggling to know where to put things.

Try for a cool, dark cupboard which is out of the way of any sunlight. Will you be trying these tips? Let us know in the comments…