Chili peppers are believed to have come from South America and grow best in warmer climates. This is why they do best sitting out at room temperature, as they can stand the heat! Storing them in the refrigerator will extend their shelf life, but the cold temperature will sap their flavor.
To keep your chilies as spicy and flavorful as they were when they were first picked, keep them on the counter in a bowl where everyone can appreciate their fierce and fine colors. Many people also choose to dry them, which will preserve them for longer and make them even spicier.
Soy Sauce is Preserved by Fermentation
Don’t worry about storing soy sauce in the fridge; it can last a year just sitting out on your table or in the pantry. Because soy sauce is fermented, its chemical composition allows it to withstand warmer temperatures without spoiling, which is why those little Chinese takeout packets do just fine in your office desk drawer.
Fun fact: the fermentation process preserves the condiment naturally, and an opened jar will keep its flavor for up to a year and a half. So, there is no need for your soy sauce bottles to take up space in the fridge; you can keep them in the pantry, and they'll be fine.
Do Not Injure Your Cucumbers!
Take everything you ever knew about cucumbers and throw it away. According to the Postharvest Technology Center at UC Davis, cucumbers are best enjoyed at room temperature. Cucumbers should last up to 14 days, with decomposition set in thereafter.
Cucumbers are actually fruits, and both cucumbers and melons are members of the Cucurbitaceae, or gourd family. So in this case, refrigeration is not recommended. The folks at UC Davis say refrigerating causes a “chilling injury.” Pitting, accelerated decay, and sogginess results. Chilling injury generally sets in after 2-3 days of refrigeration.
Pineapple Is a Tropical Fruit
Pineapples, which are native to the Caribbean, Brazil, and Paraguay and are a major Hawaiian export, have some incredible health benefits, however, they are ill-suited for the refrigerator. Especially during its vital ripening stage. If you want to serve your pineapple at its sweetest, let it stay out on the counter to ripen.
Once it gets to the perfect ripeness, a stage that you can detect by the sweet aroma emanating from the base of the fruit, cut it open. Eat it right away or store the pieces in an airtight container in the fridge. There is nothing like a perfect, sweet, and juicy pineapple!
Ketchup or Catsup? However You Spell It, It Won’t Spoil
Almost every home in America has a bottle of ketchup, and that's largely thanks to Heinz, the company that started selling their ketchup in 1876. Ketchup is a condiment made of tomatoes, vinegar, and sugar. Vinegar and sugar are natural preservatives. Its natural acidity means an unopened bottle can still be used up to two years after its sell-by date.
If you love ketchup and enjoy having ketchup with most meals, feel free to leave it on the table, especially if you prefer it at room temp. That’s what they do at restaurants, after all. Ketchup can sit out for well over a month. In the fridge, it lasts forever.