20 foods you shouldn’t put in the fridge

This sticky, sweet stuff should not go in the fridge. Honey is known to seize up and crystallise in cold temperatures. Room-temperature is the ideal temperature level for this sweetener.

Although keeping bread in the fridge keeps mould at bay, it also dries out the loaf. Instead, store extra bread in the freezer and bring to room temperature when you are ready to eat them. If you go through bread a lot, it’s best to keep it out on the counter.

For an optimal nutty flavour, it’s best to store nuts in an airtight container in the pantry or cupboard. “Nuts don’t need refrigeration. They don’t have enough moisture to support rapid bacterial growth, so they can be stored safely at room temperature for up to three months,” say certified professional in food safety, Katie Heil. “That being said, refrigeration can prolong the quality of the nuts. It’s up to people’s discretion whether they refrigerate them or not.”

The creamy green fruit is best kept at room temperature if it’s hard, or if it’s ripe and you plan on using it right away. That said, finicky avocados that quickly go from under-ripe to overripe can go in the fridge to last longer.

Check out this delicious papaya and avocado salad.

Peaches, plums, nectarines, and apricots are all best kept at room temperature so they can ripen to perfection.

This cooking oil should go in a cool, dark place. Keeping it in the fridge can create a harder, more butter-like consistency.

Find out all about cooking oils: the good, the bad and the ugly.

Mushy capsicums are never tasty, so don’t put them in the fridge. Low temperatures cause the capsicums to lose their crunch.

It’s not a big dill (pun intended!) to keep your pickles out of the fridge. Since they’re already preserved in brine, they can remain in your pantry until you are ready to eat them.

Keep chocolate at room temperature somewhere dark and dry for maximum flavour; this avoids a grain consistency from the fridge.

Love dark chocolate? Don’t miss these surprising facts.

If you’re eating eggplant a few days after purchase, it’s OK to keep it out on the counter. Storing it in the fridge could dull the flavour. Take note though that eggplant does have a short shelf-life outside of the fridge, so be sure to eat it right away.