Refrigerating some food can actually dull the flavor of foods or even reduce their nutritional quality. So leave it on the counter, in my case were going to leave it in the bin because I live in a van out of a bucket of food. I have no fridge to work with so I made a list of food that will be okay to leave out and how long you can keep it unrefrigerated. Keeping these foods in the fridge dries them out, makes them wrinkly, or even starts mold growing faster.

Produce

• Plums: 1-2 days
• Tomatoes: 1-2 days, room temp
• Bananas: 2-3 days after ripe, room temp
• Berries: 2-3 days
• Zucchini: 2-3 days
• Cucumbers: 2 days
• Nectarines: 2-3 days
• Apricots: 2-4 days
• Pineapple: 3 days
• Papayas: 3 days
• Bell Peppers: 2-5 days
• Peaches: 3-4 days on the counter
• Avocado: 2-4 days
• Mangos: 3-7 days
• Apples: 5-7 days
• Garlic: 7-10 days unpeeled cloves, dry and warm
• Melons: 7-10 days room temp before cutting
• Onions: 2-4 weeks clear open air circulation, far from potatoes

Dairy

• Butter: 1 week, covered
• Cheese: 1 week, aged specialty cheese (gouda, parmesan, pecorino Romano, cheddar)

Beverages

• White Wines: 3-5 days
• Coffee: 1-2 weeks

Baked Goods

• Croissants: 1-2 days
• Bagels: 2-3 days
• Bread: 4 days
• Cake (buttercream frosting): 4 days

Condiments and Spreads

• Hot Sauce: 6 months on the counter
• Peanut Butter: 3 months room temp (not organic)
• Chocolate Hazelnut Spread: 1 year
• Molasses: 1 year
• Soy Sauce: 3-6 months
• Vinegar: 2-3 years

Staples

• Potatoes: 1-2 weeks cool dry place
• Spaghetti Squash: 1 month
• Butternut Squash: 1-3 months, cool dark place
• Acorn Squash: 1-2 months, room temp
• Pickles: 1 year, unopened; couple hours after opened
• Honey: 3000 years (essentially indefinite)
• Oils: forever, room temp, away from light (refrigerate nut-based oils)

Most of these foods, especially the produce, can be left out until ripe. I was honestly, worried if I want going to ever eat a fruit or veggie again. Looks like I’m in the clear as long as I eat them within a couple days. Maybe I try to make a meal plan according to these expiration timelines. I’ll totally be eating some squash and melons since they last the longest. My main focus will be tropical fruits since they don’t need to be refrigerated very long. I hope this helps you free some room up in your fridge and your food tastes better longer.