Avoid Refrigerating These 7 Foods – It’s a Big Mistake

The fridge is great for keeping food fresh, but not everything belongs there. In fact, storing certain foods in the refrigerator can actually ruin their flavor, texture, or even shorten their shelf life. Here are 7 common foods you should never keep in the fridge—and why.

1. Onions 🧅

Refrigeration causes onions to become soft and moldy more quickly. The cold, humid environment encourages sprouting and spoiling.
✅ Store instead: In a cool, dry, well-ventilated place—away from potatoes.

2. Eggs 🥚 (in some countries)

In places where eggs aren’t washed and bleached (like most of Europe), they come with a natural protective coating. Refrigerating them can cause condensation, which may promote bacterial growth.
✅ Store instead: In a cool pantry if your eggs are unwashed. (But in the U.S. or Canada, where eggs are washed, refrigeration is necessary.)

3. Tomatoes 🍅

Cold temperatures dull the flavor and ruin the texture of tomatoes, making them mushy and tasteless.
✅ Store instead: On the counter, stem side down, at room temperature.

4. Garlic 🧄

Refrigeration encourages sprouting and rubbery texture. It also loses its strong flavor.
✅ Store instead: In a dry, open container in a cool, dark place.

5. Bread 🍞

Cold air dries out bread quickly and makes it stale.
✅ Store instead: In a breadbox or at room temperature in a sealed bag. Freeze only if you won’t eat it within a few days.

6. Potatoes 🥔

Cold turns the starch in potatoes into sugar, affecting taste and texture, and making them gritty.
✅ Store instead: In a paper bag in a cool, dark pantry.

7. Olive Oil 🫒

Refrigeration causes olive oil to solidify and turn cloudy, affecting taste and quality.
✅ Store instead: In a dark bottle at room temperature, away from heat and light.