Cold temperatures can actually damage some fresh fruits and vegetables.
And you may be causing some of your produce to spoil faster by improper storage.
Below are four fruits and vegetables you shouldnt keep in your fridge and where you should store them instead.
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Tomatoes
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If youve ever grown tomatoes, you know that they love the heat and hate the cold.
Turns out even after theyre plucked from the vine, they still hold their aversion to cold.
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The fridge is not the ideal place to store tomatoes.
If you do, yourperfect tomatoesturn into a mushy disappointment.
Theyll still be good for cooking, but not the best for eating fresh.
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Instead store them on your counter, out of direct sunlight, and enjoy them when theyre ripe.
Fresh Herbs
Fresh herbslike basil, parsley and cilantro actually dont belong in the fridge.
Spending extended periods of time in a cold environment like a refrigerator causes them to wilt prematurely.
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Fresh herbs do best when stored on your counter and treated as you would fresh-cut flowers.
Bananas
Bananaslike a good mild temperature; theyre a tropical fruit after all.
Its best to store bananas at room temperature on the counternext to the tomatoes.
Onions
Onionsdont come out of the ground with that protective papery skin.
Store onions in a cool, dry, dark, well-ventilated place.
MITRE.State of food waste: Nationally representative study.
