As more people moved into cities and further away from food sources, household refrigerators became a necessity. So in 1834, the world got its first working vapor-compression refrigeration system. The first commercial ice-making machine was invented in 1854. And in 1913, refrigerators for home use were introduced.
But as we learned how to preserve our resources more efficiently, we got more and more creative with it, too. So when Reddit user Monk_Never_Dies asked everyone on the platform, "What is something commonly refrigerated, [but] actually doesn't need to be?" the replies came flying in. Here are some of the most popular ones.
This post may include affiliate links.
People who put honey in the fridge should be charged as criminals
Nutella in the fridge should be a major felony. Who tf wants rock hard Nutella?
Saw this somewhere that someone would spread Nutella on the parchment paper. About a dozen or more, they shaped them in a nice thinly board. Chilled it overnight, then they used it to crackle its bits for ice cream. For me I would have eaten it in one sitting.
Tomatoes. They'll stay edible longer in the fridge, but they'll instantly lose all their flavor when chilled.
My mother grew up relatively poor and so has it ingrained to never risk wasting food. She'll always refrigerate tomatoes (and even bananas!) despite my attempts to convince her otherwise.
Bread. We put it in the fridge bc my precious little douche bags (cats) like to take chomps out of the bag.
I leave avocados out until they’re the perfect ripeness, then I put them in the fridge and they last ages in the perfect state
Peanut butter. Why people do it, I don't know.
We buy the kind you have to stir- just peanuts, no hydrogenated oils, sugar etc-and it will separate if we don't keep it in the fridge.
Store-bought mayonnaise.
I was raised in the South, and my mother (born in 1924) was kind of obsessed with the idea that mayonnaise left out of the refrigerator would "turn" and grow a bunch of salmonella. We were repeatedly cautioned to be sure to return the mayonnaise jar to the fridge immediately. (When Mom was a girl, mayonnaise was homemade out of raw egg yolks, lemon juice, salt and cooking oil.)
Then I took a food safety course (I was an RN and got assigned to be the safety inspector at my hospital) and to my great surprise the county food safety instructor told us that unrefrigerated commercial mayonnaise only very rarely was ever a problem.
I still don't trust it though. (My mama never steered me wrong, I don't care *what* the county food safety guy says.)
Just checked my mayo jar and it says to refrigerate after opening. I think I'll follow the directions.
Onions or potatoes. Honestly most produce doesn’t necessarily need to go in the fridge but it does help it last longer
Eggs - in the US you have to refrigerate eggs. You don't always in Europe.
When I got married my wife showed me that butter can just sit there right on the counter, even right next to the stove, forever. What is this conspiracy to make people think butter needs to be refrigerated? Is it by the margarine makers to sell their stuff as a softer alternative to butter?
Bananas
Bananas are good frozen, covered in chocolate sauce, and rolled in cereal crumbs.
Molasses
In the refrigerator, Grandma's molasses turns to "sludge."
Ketchup but I like mine cold
Depends. Once the bottle is opened it will het sour over time. I used to put mine in the fridge, but thats not necessary anymore since we have kids.
Maple syrup
Growing up it was always in the fridge. When my husband and I met he questioned me on it. I had no idea it wasn’t needed.
Maple syrup definitely needs to be refrigerated, says a woman who was also told this and watched mold grow on a $40 bottle of pure maple syrup. Pancake syrup does not.
Happened to me as well, I was so heartbroken I asked a Canadian friend if she knew if I could just scrape off the mold and have the rest, her answer was "are you insane, of course not!"
Load More Replies...
My family has a homestead in Maine. We tap maple trees and make our own syrup. I’m perplexed on the mold thing. I see some posts say it gets used too fast to grow mold. Yes, I suppose. But also, it depends on how you use it. Don’t pour unused syrup back into the bottle/jar. Don’t stick other utensils in the jar. Basically, don’t do anything to introduce bacteria into the jar that will cause mold to grow on your syrup and it should be fine, refrigerated or not… even after it’s opened. The syrup itself has such a high sugar content… it can’t grow mold INSIDE it, but mold can grow on top of it. And this occasionally happens (refrigerated or not). You just scoop it off the top and re-boil the syrup. When we jar our syrup, we place it in jars that have been cleaned and sanitized by boiling. We tip the jars over for a little while to make sure the hot syrup covers the lids and their seals. This also stops any bacteria from growing. Personally, I choose not to refrigerate my syrup.
Mmmmmm a tap for pure maple syrup you say? Send me the location, asking for a friend!
Load More Replies...
Must depend on the type, I've got 3 different bottles of syrup in the fridge and the cheap sugary one says no refrigeration needed. The other two say refrigerate.
That's because the cheap one is actually corn syrup with caramel food coloring and artificial maple flavor. None of it is really food, so even the mold avoids it.
Load More Replies...
Refrigerate the real maple syrup or it WILL go bad with mold! The fake, highfructose corn syrup, artificially flavored concoction of course doesn't need it, as it's really not food.
The sugar content of maple syrup is high enough that it cannot grow mold. If there's surface mold, then the surface of the syrup became contaminated with some other substance. The syrup itself is fine; just discard the moldy surface. (Source: we make small batch maple syrup every year for personal use.)
Agreed. We do small batch maple syrup every year as well. Heated and canned (jarred in our case) properly it can be stored unrefrigerated indefinitely, but once opened should be refrigerated. It really depends on how thick you cook your syrup down. Some people prefer runny syrup, which has more water content and less intense maple flavor. I like it molasses thick, but I also drink the runny stuff out of a cup while we are processing it (so freaking good).
Load More Replies... 
If you buy the real thing it does need to be refrigerated. Pure actual Maple syrup. Mrs. Butterworth or log cabin et cetera is not pure Maple syrup and does not need to be refrigerated
Maple syrup needs to be in the fridge after it's opened or it'll start fermenting. Learned that the hard way.
My husband makes maple syrup from the trees in our backyard and if it is not used up quickly it will go bad outside of the refrigerator. We gave some to both daughters and one did not refrigerate it but used some & left it on the counter. W/i a month or so it started growing mold. Refrigerated it will last a long long time ☺
It w last almost forever unopened setting on the pantry shelf. After opening please refrigerate to make your maple syrup last until the very last drop 😋
Load More Replies...
Real syrup from a farm does. Fake syrup like Log Cabin or Hungry Jack can survive outside the fridge.
Real Maple syrup becomes a lab experiment very quickly. The brown "pancake" syrup in the pantry will outlive me.
Depends if it’s real or not. I’ve opened a bottle and been greeted by mold. Only then did I notice the “refrigerate after opening”.
Keeping syrups in the cupboard was attracting gross bugs. So I started keeping it in the fridge and that took care of that issue.
I prefer my pancake syrup cold so it's stored in the fridge but I have friends who don't refrigerate theirs and microwave it before use.
Keeping onions in the fridge greatly reduces tears when cutting onions
Sharp knives are a better way to cut down on the tears. The more you damage the onion, the more it makes your eyes water.
Hot sauce. All the restaurants leave it out but I feel like most people stick it in the fridge.
I leave Louisiana style, like Crystal's for example, out after opening but all the other stuff goes in the fridge. Louisiana style has so much vinegar and pepper it's not gonna turn.
Strawberries go bad much faster once refrigerated. Grocery stores greatly reduce shelf life by refrigerating them before you even get the chance to buy the darn berries
Strawberries tend to go bad because of mold around here, so refrigeration slows that down.
Pineapples, my mom tried to refrigerate a whole pineapple once and i had to lecture her about how you are supposed to leave them out
Pepto Bismol. It doesn’t need to be refrigerated but it tastes just awful if it isn’t.
It tastes like pink liquidated chalk, no matter what temperature it is.
Most cheeses are fine to be left out - you just cut away any moldy/dried-out bits, and you’re good to go. NOTE: this does not apply to intentionally moldy cheeses like blues and Gorgonzola, or softer cheese like Brie. It’s for hard cheeses only (Parmesan, cheddar, etc.), which can still last longer when refrigerated too
I don't know if its commonly refrigerated but I do remember getting in an argument with my college roommate about needing to refrigerate jelly/jam.
You don't. It'll last a long long long time in the pantry.
Only if it’s not opened! Don’t do this with open jam or jelly. Especially if you’re double dipping your knife between spreads.
Orange juice. I found out they don't refrigerate it over in France. That freaked me out.
This list doesn't take climate into consideration. I'm Australian, it's hot, fruit, vegetables, bread and condiments don't last in the heat so they have to be refrigerated. I'm more than happy to loose a bit of flavor so my food lasts longer.
Plus a greater risk for nasty bugs if you leave those things out in warmer climates.
Load More Replies...
In Europe it's quite easy: whatever is refrigerated in the supermarket, you keep in the fridge. Everything that isn't, stays out. When opened, check the label where to store it.
SO many of these foods will last a while out of the fridge, but (1) they won't last nearly as long as if they're refrigerated, and (2) can go dangerously bad if something non-sterile has been introduced (like a knife or a spoon that has some food traces on it) and (3) even airborne particles can get at them.
Another post stolen from Reddit. This is not journalism, it’s plagiarism and it’s lazy.
Most of the posts here originally came from other sources. There even once was a post that went from Reddit to here to Twitter and back here lol
Load More Replies...
A huge difference in storing closed jars, tins and cartons, and storing it once opened. Honey, peanut butter etc are exceptions. Produce, like onions, may be stored in a cellar if you have one (but they’ll be fine at most temps). Greens: in the fridge. Tomatoes: room temperature. Bread: in your belly.
I can only eat slow sourdough artisan bread because I get unmentionable side effects otherwise. For old sourdough sprinkle with water and microwave for 20s
Load More Replies...
"It doesn't do anything but helps it last longer" Yeah, that's why I put it in the fridge...
This list is stupid and wrong. The climate is not taken into account. The special features of the kitchens are also not taken into account. Do you have a cool, dark pantry? Perfect. Don't have a cool, dark pantry? So you have to store a lot of things in the fridge. In addition, the storage also depends on consumption, if you drink a liter of milk a day, the opened pack does not have to be put in the fridge. The fridge is a cool and dark place (when the lights in the fridge actually go out!), such a place keeps food from spoiling quickly.
Well the basis of the list is accurate. Very accurate. Personal taste buds play a big roll though. Just because you don't have to refrigerate something doesn't mean that it doesn't taste better when it comes out of a nice cold fridge
Load More Replies...
Wow this list's entries were mainly written by people who must also appear on a "your worst bout of food poisoning" list.
Now that is a celebrity cooking show I'd watch. This week we have two celebrities cook a 5 course meal and the judges will decide if it's safe to eat, inedible or "stomach pump time".
Load More Replies...
While not valid in all cases, in general tropical fruits should not go inside a fridge.
I THINK it also dep3ends on how close the shops are and how often you do the shopping. If you 'work in town' and stop off to buy things on the way home -- no real need for most refrigeration. However some things out of the fridge will not keep out of the fridge more than a few days. (And that is not counting cockroach, and fly contamination.) it can get very expensive making special trips of over and hour just to get a handful of groceries But it gets fearfully expensive to need to go to the shops daily if it is half an hour or more drive away. However some things out of the fridge will not keep out of the fridge more than a few days. (And that is not counting cockroach, and fly contamination/)
The other one: if you wash your produce you have to refrigerate it or use it immediately. The bacterial ecosystem on them protects it from fungi and oxidation that starts the rotting. That bacteria might be harmful to you which is why you should always wash your produce before use, but as soon as it gets home is unnecessary. (Edit: spelling error)
Did I miss the one about not refrigerating the bodies of their enemies...*rolls eyes
I just laughed thru this whole thing. We haven't had a refrigerator in over a year and a half. We just can't stock up on food like we could with a working fridge and we don't buy milk by the gallon during the hotter months. Anything that needs to stay cool goes in a cooler-no, we don't always have ice either. Neither of us has gotten sick or even had a tummy ache. So my point is, nothing needs refrigerated if you use it in a timely manner. Don't get me wrong, I miss having the option to refrigerate but what I miss most is having a freezer to keep ice in! Edited to add: This way of living might not work in humid environments since mold loves that sort of climate. We live in the desert.
A lot of these things seem to be saying that the items don't HAVE to be refrigerated. Yes, you're correct, they don't HAVE to be, but that doesn't mean choosing not to refrigerate has no effect. In many cases, it makes the items last longer or slows down the spoiling process. That's kind of the purpose.
For most of the condiments, they taste better could, and it's nice to have them all in one place. Plus, I don't have much cabinet space, and there's not much else that would fit in most door shelves anyway.
I heard of some people putting it in the freezer, but never the fridge.
Load More Replies... This list doesn't take climate into consideration. I'm Australian, it's hot, fruit, vegetables, bread and condiments don't last in the heat so they have to be refrigerated. I'm more than happy to loose a bit of flavor so my food lasts longer.
Plus a greater risk for nasty bugs if you leave those things out in warmer climates.
Load More Replies... In Europe it's quite easy: whatever is refrigerated in the supermarket, you keep in the fridge. Everything that isn't, stays out. When opened, check the label where to store it.
SO many of these foods will last a while out of the fridge, but (1) they won't last nearly as long as if they're refrigerated, and (2) can go dangerously bad if something non-sterile has been introduced (like a knife or a spoon that has some food traces on it) and (3) even airborne particles can get at them.
Another post stolen from Reddit. This is not journalism, it’s plagiarism and it’s lazy.
Most of the posts here originally came from other sources. There even once was a post that went from Reddit to here to Twitter and back here lol
Load More Replies... A huge difference in storing closed jars, tins and cartons, and storing it once opened. Honey, peanut butter etc are exceptions. Produce, like onions, may be stored in a cellar if you have one (but they’ll be fine at most temps). Greens: in the fridge. Tomatoes: room temperature. Bread: in your belly.
I can only eat slow sourdough artisan bread because I get unmentionable side effects otherwise. For old sourdough sprinkle with water and microwave for 20s
Load More Replies... "It doesn't do anything but helps it last longer" Yeah, that's why I put it in the fridge...
This list is stupid and wrong. The climate is not taken into account. The special features of the kitchens are also not taken into account. Do you have a cool, dark pantry? Perfect. Don't have a cool, dark pantry? So you have to store a lot of things in the fridge. In addition, the storage also depends on consumption, if you drink a liter of milk a day, the opened pack does not have to be put in the fridge. The fridge is a cool and dark place (when the lights in the fridge actually go out!), such a place keeps food from spoiling quickly.
Well the basis of the list is accurate. Very accurate. Personal taste buds play a big roll though. Just because you don't have to refrigerate something doesn't mean that it doesn't taste better when it comes out of a nice cold fridge
Load More Replies... Wow this list's entries were mainly written by people who must also appear on a "your worst bout of food poisoning" list.
Now that is a celebrity cooking show I'd watch. This week we have two celebrities cook a 5 course meal and the judges will decide if it's safe to eat, inedible or "stomach pump time".
Load More Replies... While not valid in all cases, in general tropical fruits should not go inside a fridge.
I THINK it also dep3ends on how close the shops are and how often you do the shopping. If you 'work in town' and stop off to buy things on the way home -- no real need for most refrigeration. However some things out of the fridge will not keep out of the fridge more than a few days. (And that is not counting cockroach, and fly contamination.) it can get very expensive making special trips of over and hour just to get a handful of groceries But it gets fearfully expensive to need to go to the shops daily if it is half an hour or more drive away. However some things out of the fridge will not keep out of the fridge more than a few days. (And that is not counting cockroach, and fly contamination/)
The other one: if you wash your produce you have to refrigerate it or use it immediately. The bacterial ecosystem on them protects it from fungi and oxidation that starts the rotting. That bacteria might be harmful to you which is why you should always wash your produce before use, but as soon as it gets home is unnecessary. (Edit: spelling error)
Did I miss the one about not refrigerating the bodies of their enemies...*rolls eyes
I just laughed thru this whole thing. We haven't had a refrigerator in over a year and a half. We just can't stock up on food like we could with a working fridge and we don't buy milk by the gallon during the hotter months. Anything that needs to stay cool goes in a cooler-no, we don't always have ice either. Neither of us has gotten sick or even had a tummy ache. So my point is, nothing needs refrigerated if you use it in a timely manner. Don't get me wrong, I miss having the option to refrigerate but what I miss most is having a freezer to keep ice in! Edited to add: This way of living might not work in humid environments since mold loves that sort of climate. We live in the desert.
A lot of these things seem to be saying that the items don't HAVE to be refrigerated. Yes, you're correct, they don't HAVE to be, but that doesn't mean choosing not to refrigerate has no effect. In many cases, it makes the items last longer or slows down the spoiling process. That's kind of the purpose.
For most of the condiments, they taste better could, and it's nice to have them all in one place. Plus, I don't have much cabinet space, and there's not much else that would fit in most door shelves anyway.
I heard of some people putting it in the freezer, but never the fridge.
Load More Replies...