There's No Need To Refrigerate These 27 Food Items, At Least According To Wise Redditors

"I feel so dumb right now. It takes up so much prime real estate!!!"

Chelsi

• Published in Interesting
• December 26, 2022

Keeping track of the world’s timeline, people had to get creative with storing food before refrigerators were invented. They ferment their stocks, bury them in the ground, sun-dried them, and many more methods just to make them last.

Because the seasons and weather can be brutal, and it affects how much food waste they’d have. In this case, with all of these experiments, people found out which food would be safe at room temperature. 

Then the refrigerator was invented, and it became a game changer for food storage. Of course, it still depends on your environment, but this sparked debates on what is right when it comes to which food should stay in the fridge. 

Then there are labels. Are you the kind who refrigerates condiments? 

Or do you think it’s okay keeping them outside because it’s what you’ve seen people do ever since? Either way, you learn something new when people reveal their ‘no refrigeration required’ list. 

In a r/AskReddit post, a Redditor was curious about what food items are most commonly known to need refrigeration but could actually do without. And some of the answers might shock you.

From butter near stoves to longer-lasting tomatoes, find out what might save you some storage space. These answers might also make you realize what you wouldn’t risk for the sake of food safety.

Here’s the question from r/AskReddit:

1. Have you ever seen honey flow so flawlessly? No? It must be stiff from being in the fridge

2. One thing that entices people to buy Nutella is the way it spreads easily, having it in the fridge will only get you ruined bread surfaces

3. It’s always a debate if you should refrigerate fruits. You can, but with tomatoes, the compromise would be its flavor

4. Is anybody up for stale bread?

5. Avocados are tricky but there’s a way of refrigerating them for better results

6. Like Nutella, they lose their smooth spreadable factor when refrigerated

7. Technically, you don’t have to keep it in the fridge but it’s all about preference with this one

8. Your gut might tell you to refrigerate store-bought mayo, but according to a food safety instructor, it’s okay to leave it at room temperature

9. Do you need it for the next week? Maybe you should refrigerate it

10. Food protocols differ per country, with eggs, there might be a good reason why you have to get them in the fridge in some

11. Will the butter turn into a puddle if you leave it out? If yes then you might want to ask yourself if you would like a butter puddle

12. Bananas might not need refrigeration but there are many ways to enjoy them cold!

13. When you refrigerate molasses, you’ll be late for everything of how slow it’ll be pouring out

14. It does nothing but makes it cold so why bother?

15. It really depends on how fast you could go through a bottle but most companies suggest refrigerating after opening

16. Maple syrup doesn’t spoil!

17. Produce might not need to be kept in the cold but save yourself from onion tears!

18. Again, it depends if you plan to keep it for longer and preserve the flavor

19. If it’s okay for you to eat it at restaurants where it’s always out, then it’s okay to do it at home

20. Grocery stores are not doing you a favor with the fresh strawberries in their fridge

21. Once you peel and cut it, it’ll be totally fine to store it in the fridge

22. The real definition of cold medicine

23. You don’t have to but it could keep them fresh

24. It’s up to preferences but cold mustard might tickle your taste buds

25. You got to pick and choose which kinds of cheese to refrigerate

26. With reservations and rules to abide by, this could work

27. Leaves more room in the fridge for other stuff

Of course, instructions like ‘refrigerate after opening’ are there for a reason. The practices of others might not work for you if you have a different environment from them or the product you have is not similar.

You can take a risk and try out one of these examples. But always do it with caution, as it would suck if you suddenly have the runs from unrefrigerated food.

Chelsi