It’s time for a veggie living post today! I know we have a bit of a tendency to just shove everything in the fridge to try and keep it fresh, but sometimes that’s actually not the best option. Even if you have some leftovers that you want to eat tomorrow, storing them away in a cold place might not be the right thing to do. Here are five foods that you should never, under any circumstances, be putting in the fridge.

1. Bread

So most people probably don’t put a whole loaf of bread in the fridge – but what about leftovers? Are you guilty of putting last night’s pizza in the fridge to keep it fresh? The truth is, this is the worst possible thing to do with it. The time it spends in the cold will simply encourage the bread to go stale faster, so you will end up with an inedible crust and base in no time at all. If you want to keep it for longer, try keeping it in the pizza box or covering it with foil and leaving it out on the side. Putting in the freezer is fine however as this helps the bread to retain its moisture when thawed.

2. Melons

Melons are fruit, so they should be stored in the fridge, right? Wrong! They will actually do better outside until they are ready to eat. Once you cut them up, you can keep them in the fridge to prevent them from drying out too quickly. Most fruit actually slows down the ripening process in the fridge, so don’t put unripe fruit in there – but once it’s ripe, keep it cool so it doesn’t go off too quickly.

3. Potatoes

When you store a potato in a cold place, the starch starts to break down and convert to sugar. This makes them gritty and sweet, which is not what you want for your mash. They should be stored in a pantry or cupboard, preferably in a breathable paper bag. They want to be cool and dark, but not cold.

4. Honey

Honey has the advantage of being a natural preservative, meaning that you could still eat honey that was two hundred years old so long as it was kept in a sealed jar. You don’t need to do anything special to keep it going. If you put it in the fridge, however, the sugar will start to crystallise. This makes it harder to pour or scoop. If you’re having trouble getting your honey out, put it in the cupboard instead.

5. Tomatoes

Another fruit that can’t sit in the fridge? Yep! Tomatoes will start to form ice crystals when they are kept at low temperatures, which changes their texture – and not in a good way. It’s actually better to keep them at room temperature. This is one of the reasons why they are so good to eat when hand-picked from the vine.