Experts say these foods should never go in the fridge

Living in Australia, there are always new tips to try to keep your food to last longer in our dramatic climate. It can be a constant battle to maintain the bread from growing new life forms in just a few days on the counter. Experts say that one of the biggest misconceptions is that if you keep everything in the fridge, it will last longer. So what food should go in the refrigerator and what foods do better outside of it?

Good Housekeeping has released a guide that lets you know what food to keep out and when you can place them in. The guide also explains that keeping food in the fridge is not a guarantee that it will last longer, but it can ruin the flavour of a lot of your favourites.

Tomatoes are the biggest culprit. For years many have been putting them in the crisper drawer of the fridge, but all it does is remove almost all flavour from the fruit. You need to treat tomatoes like strawberries, experts say, and keep them at room temperature. If you buy them in bulk, they are still ok to keep in the fridge, but remove them from the crisper and allow them to get to room temperature before using them for optimal flavour.

Bread is the next on the list, and many around the office here are guilty of this. Bread seems to go off fast if left on the kitchen counter. Putting your loaf in the fridge will keep the mould off, but it will also speed up the bread going stale. Experts say to place the bread in the bread bag and store it in the cupboard.

If you are one to keep coffee in the fridge, you may be robbing yourself of a great morning brew. Tests have shown that coffee, even through its container, can absorb strong orders and flavours from foods kept near it in the fridge. So unless chicken coffee is something you enjoy it’s another one to keep in a dark cupboard.

Where there any items on the guide that surprised you that people put in the fridge? What are some of your sure fire tips to keep food fresher longer?