FEMAIL can reveal which items belong in the fridge and which don't. Avocados, tomatoes, and even cucumbers should be kept on the counter. But you should definitely refrigerate your Brussels sprouts and figs
When buying fruits and vegetables, most of us think we know the items that need chilling and the ones that can be kept in a dark, cool cupboard, or a fruit bowl.
But a new list of the foods that really need refrigerating - and which definitely don't - reveals that many of us are not as clued up as we think. While many of us know that potatoes don't need chilling, you may not be aware that avocados and even cucumbers have no place in your fridge.
A list of the foods that really need refrigerating - and which definitely don't - has been revealed. Avocados do not need to be kept chilled, apparently. But your Brussels sprouts and figs do need to be kept chilled, it's said.
The list of which vegetables and fruits don't need to be kept in the fridge - drawn up by the University of California (UC) Davis, is surprisingly long - and many of the items included may take you by surprise.
Tomatoes, aubergines, peppers, garlic and plums are among the items you should never keep in your fridge, according to the research
Storing them in a chilled place won't harm the fruit or vegetable - but it may well affect the taste.
THE FOODS YOU SHOULD AND SHOULD NEVER REFRIGERATE
This is a definitive list of every fruit and vegetable that should be kept in the fridge, and which are fine to be left at room temperature on the counter top
Tomatoes do not need to be kept in the fridge, says UC Davis. Cucumbers should not be kept chilled as it could affect the taste, says UC Davis, Tomatoes and cucumbers are two foods which do not need to be kept in the fridge, according to UC Davis
UC Davis explains that the fridge will stop these fruits and vegetables from ripening properly, therefore affecting the taste.
For example, bananas will get a black skin if kept in the fridge, sweet potatoes become too hard, watermelon loses its vibrant colour and tomatoes have a better taste and colour if left at room temperature.
TIPS FOR STORING FRUIT AND VEG IN THE FRIDGE
Never keep fruit and vegetables together in the fridge.
Fruit releases much more of a gas called ethylene, a ripening agent, than vegetables.
This means keeping them together can prematurely ripen and then spoil any vegetables nearby.
But there are some items that always need keeping in the fridge. Many of them are fruits and vegetables you would expect to find on the list, such as lettuce, mushrooms, grapes, berries, leafy vegetables and leeks.
Others may surprise you, such as sprouts, figs, summer squashes, sweetcorn and radishes.
Some fruits and vegetables need to be ripened on the countertop first, before then being stored in the fridge.
Apples can be left in the fruit bowl for seven days, but after a week should be kept in the fridge.
Pears too will have a better taste if left to ripen in the fruit bowl but then can be stored in the fridge for up to three days without it affecting the taste.
UC Davis recommmends eating any fruits and vegetables in the fridge within a few days for the best taste.
By Imogen Blake
Mailonline
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