Kitchen hacks: Why you should not store these food items in your refrigerator

If you are not storing coffee in airtight containers, it turns into hard lumps. The trouble with coffee is that it’s practically a sponge for smells, so if placed in the fridge, it will begin to absorb any scent in there and the whole batch will never revert to its original arabica caffeine flavour.

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Tomato

Tomatoes are tender in nature and, when subjected to an unnatural cold atmosphere, it can play havoc with the texture and make the tomato mealy.

Honey

Do you store honey in the fridge? (File Photo)

Putting honey into the fridge will increase the speed of sugar crystallisation, which turns it into an almost dough-like, making it hard to scoop out.

Fresh herbs

Fresh herbs are like coffee in that they love to absorb smells around them, making them impossible to return to the original flavour. They also tend to lose flavour and go dry in the fridge quickly, so unless you plan to wrap them up, it’s wise to keep them outside in the open and away from strong odours.

Garlic 

Garlic adds a distinct taste to meals. (Photo: Getty/Thinkstock Images)

The longevity of garlic is ideally for 10 to 12 days, beyond which it loses its nutrient level. However, the strong smell of garlic has a tendency of merging into almost every item and so it’s better to store outside.