Correct method to store cucumbers to stop them 'shrivelling up' - and it's not the fridge

To keep your food fresher for longer during the summer months, it may be tempting to store everything in the fridge.

However, there are some very popular and common food items that you should never store in the fridge, according to experts.

The team over at consumer site Which? revealed the five surprising items you should completely avoid storing in a fridge, including cucumbers. Low and cold temperatures in fridges can alter the texture and flavour of foods. Luckily, there are more suitable environments to keep them in.

Cucumbers

So why should you keep your cucumbers away from the fridge? In a video uploaded to Which? UK’s Instagram, experts said: “The cold conditions can cause the skin to shrivel up and the inside to become soft.”

To avoid mushy cucumbers, store the fruit cupboard or a bowl on your kitchen counter instead.

Tomatoes

The same thing that happens to cucumbers can happen to tomatoes, with low temperatures changing their texture and taste. All you need to do is keep them at room temperature.

Onions

In the video, Which? also advised on how to store onions. They said: “Have you ever noticed your onions get soft and mouldy when you keep them in the fridge? That’s caused by the moisture in your fridge.

“Instead, store these somewhere cool and dry. You can keep sliced or cut onions in the fridge though. Just make sure they’re kept in a sealed container.”

Bread

Moving away from fruits and vegetables, another food you should keep away from the fridge is bread. While you may think it will keep it fresher for longer, keeping bread in the fridge can actually dehydrate the loaf.

Dehydration in bread can lead to the bread tasting stale - and nobody wants that. Opt for keeping your loaves in a bread bin instead.

For any slices of bread you don’t use can be sliced and stored in your freezer for another time. Which? said these slices can be “brought back to life” in a toaster or under a grill.

Bananas

Lastly, keep bananas away from your fridge at all costs. Which? said: “Some fruit is fine to keep in the fridge, like small berries and citrus fruits. But don’t waste the space on keeping bananas in there. Bananas will turn black if you store them in the fridge. Instead, keep your bananas somewhere nice and cool. In a cupboard or in your usual fruit bowl.”