10 commonly refrigerated items you don’t actually need to keep in the fridge

Credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images

Credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images

If your refrigerator is getting a little crowded, chances are you’re keeping items in there that don’t even need to be refrigerated.

For example, that ketchup bottle can actually be kept in a cabinet for up to a month. And unless your peanut butter is organic, you can store it in the pantry.

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Here are some items you don’t actually need to keep in the fridge:

Condiments such as ketchup and mustard

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According to TheKitchn.com, yellow, Dijon, or even whole-grain mustard can be put away in the cabinet for up to two months and as mentioned before, ketchup can be kept outside the refrigerator for up to a month.

Honey

According to Mnn.com, honey does not need to be refrigerated at all.

Tomatoes

Bill Lackey

Tomatoes should be kept at room temperature and out of direct sunlight, according to Mnn.com.

Potatoes

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Here's a suggestion from CNET.com: store your potatoes in paper bags in cool, dry pantries.

Stone fruits

Quinn Dombrowski/Flickr

According to FarmersAlmanac.com, stone fruits such as peaches, plums, and cherries don't need to be refrigerated.

Garlic

Renee Studebaker / Austin American-Statesman

According to Mnn.com, the Department of Food Science and Technology at University of California, Davis, suggests storing garlic not in a refrigerator, but in a cool, dry, dark place in a mesh bag, where it should keep for three to five months.

Avocados

Unless your avocado's ripe and ready to eat, don't refrigerate it. According to CNET.com, putting an unripe avocado on the counter will make it ripen much faster.

Bread

According to CNET.com, storing bread in the fridge actually speeds up the dehydration process and makes it go stale faster.

Hot sauce

Sarah Acosta

Vinegar-based sauces don't need to be kept in the fridge, according to AllWomensTalk.com. In fact, the cold can actually affect the viscosity of the sauce.

Peppers

Damon Higgins / The Palm Beach Post

Keep those peppers out of the fridge because according to CNET.com, the cold temperature will soften their crisp.

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