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Navigating through your refrigerator can be a more complicated task than it first seems. From half-opened jars of pasta sauce to fruits and vegetables jammed in a drawer, the variety of items can say a lot about your eating habits and cooking skills.
Surprisingly, there are a number of food items that have no place taking up precious real estate in the cool confines of your fridge. In fact, some foods actually lose their nutritional value or spoil more quickly when kept in the cold. Here are five foods that you should never put in the refrigerator.
Basil
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A staple in Italian cooking, basil can be utilized in sauces as well as on top of pizzas. Though many people store herbs in their fridge, this can be a fatal mistake. Basil turns black when it is stored below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Treat basil like flowers by sticking the stems in a vase filled with water and covering the plant with a plastic bag to maintain moisture.
Coffee
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Nothing beats a hot cup of coffee to get your morning started. But storing coffee beans in the fridge can sap the freshness from your daily cup of joe. Keep your coffee beans in an airtight container in your pantry or kitchen cabinet.
Honey
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Dropping a dollop of honey in your after-dinner tea can be the perfect way to end a long day. Of course, the sweet, sticky nectar will be a lot easier to scoop out if it’s stored at the proper temperature. Leave honey at room temperature to keep it at its best consistency.
Bell Peppers
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Crispy. Crunchy. Delicious. If that’s how you want your bell peppers to be, don’t send them to soggy purgatory in the fridge. Cold temperatures cause peppers to lose their characteristic crunch.
Sliced Bread
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Keeping bread in the fridge may keep mold at bay, but it can also have deleterious effects on its texture and moisture. It’s best to store bread in the freezer and let it thaw at room temperature before you’re ready to slather it with butter.
