# Things you put in the refrigerator/freezer that don't need refrigeration **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 1, 2013, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-put-in-the-refrigerator-freezer-that-dont-need-refrigeration/672860 "2013-11-01T17:47:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-put-in-the-refrigerator-freezer-that-dont-need-refrigeration/672860/21 "2013-11-01T20:16:16Z")
> [@obfusciatrist](#): > > For the life of me I can’t figure out why but my wife keeps graham crackers (once she’s opened the sleeve) in the fridge. I keep opened packets of graham crackers, cereal, potato chips etc… in the fridge to keep them from going stale so fast. It is not to keep them cold. It is to keep them in a lower humidity environment. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-put-in-the-refrigerator-freezer-that-dont-need-refrigeration/672860/22 "2013-11-01T20:18:14Z")
> [@Kimballkid](#): > > Actually your body absorbs it faster when it’s [cold](http://www.healthshare.com.au/questions/46295-do-our-bodies-absorb-warm-water-quicker-than-cold-water). Well, then. I’ll stop feeling decadent. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-put-in-the-refrigerator-freezer-that-dont-need-refrigeration/672860/23 "2013-11-01T20:22:09Z")
Ketchup, for some reason. Also hot sauce. ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-put-in-the-refrigerator-freezer-that-dont-need-refrigeration/672860/24 "2013-11-01T20:36:18Z")
> [@Iggy](#): > > I keep opened packets of graham crackers, cereal, potato chips etc… in the fridge to keep them from going stale so fast. It is not to keep them cold. It is to keep them in a lower humidity environment. If you’re sealing them in some way before putting them in the fridge, doesn’t that result in the product being in higher relative humidity? You’ll start with the ambient room temperature humidity and then cool the air within the container, causing humidity to increase. ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-put-in-the-refrigerator-freezer-that-dont-need-refrigeration/672860/25 "2013-11-01T20:37:48Z")
Per the Heinz website ketchup should be shelf stable but because there are conditions that could compromise taste and safety once opened they recommend putting it in the fridge. ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-put-in-the-refrigerator-freezer-that-dont-need-refrigeration/672860/26 "2013-11-01T20:38:37Z")
Glass mugs with a little water spritzed on them. For frosty mug beer when certain individuals come to visit. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-put-in-the-refrigerator-freezer-that-dont-need-refrigeration/672860/27 "2013-11-01T20:43:36Z")
Vodka in the freezer so it’s ready to drink. Mayonaisse doesn’t need to be refrigerated, unless you’ve contaminated it with crumbs and stuff, but I do anyway. Tuna and canned salmon so they’re ready to eat. Eggs because I’m a little sensitive to them and do better if they are very fresh. I do not put opened bottles of soda in the fridge because they go flat, not exactly sure why, I think after opening again they lose a lot of CO2 when exposed to the warmer air, just guessing on that so far. Onions and other root vegetables during summer time when there’s no where else to keep them that isn’t too hot and humid. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-put-in-the-refrigerator-freezer-that-dont-need-refrigeration/672860/28 "2013-11-01T20:48:10Z")
I put Ketchup Mustard and Mayo in the fridge after opening. You have to. Okay maybe not mustard but ketchup is full of sugar that will go bad and Mayo goes bad at the drop of a hat (not that I care because I HATE Mayo :)). ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-put-in-the-refrigerator-freezer-that-dont-need-refrigeration/672860/29 "2013-11-01T20:50:17Z")
This year I started keeping tons of stuff in the fridge that doesn’t need to go there. - I don’t have much cupboard space, I guess - I don’t like stuff on my counter - I apparently don’t buy too much stuff that needs refrigerated so I have a big empty fridge Right now I’ve got boxes of mac & cheese, cookies and crackers in there, and it’s still pretty empty. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-put-in-the-refrigerator-freezer-that-dont-need-refrigeration/672860/30 "2013-11-01T20:57:17Z")
Batteries. I got in the habit when I thought it would make them last longer Now they say it doesn’t but I got the habit plus I have a little plastic container for them… ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-put-in-the-refrigerator-freezer-that-dont-need-refrigeration/672860/31 "2013-11-01T20:59:35Z")
Spare batteries live in my 'fridge. Also chemical testing strips. ---
**Author:** ![Strangeland64](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/48db29/32.png) [@Strangeland64](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strangeland64)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-put-in-the-refrigerator-freezer-that-dont-need-refrigeration/672860/32 "2013-11-01T21:08:46Z")
I thought you had to put mayo in the fridge after opening because it would go bad otherwise? Also eggs? I read all the time warnings about people making salads with eggs / mayo and then hearing you aren’t supposed to eat things with those ingredients in them because you can get sick from it… am I mistaken? Also don’t eggs go bad ? They are in the refrigerated section in the store? You guys are confusing me lol… I do keep my peanut butter out … I used to keep in the fridge, but I have a small fridge and my husband keeps a ton of condiments so I started leaving it out… it seems to be okay. plus it’s not all hard. My mom keeps her bread in the fridge, she says it stays fresh longer. I don’t have room. I do freeze extra flour, cornmeal and rice because I had a bug infestation once. I sometimes leave things in my pantry though that still I end up having to throw out even though I cleaned my pantry out and wiped down with bleach and sprayed then waited a while… these are things sealed, like a box of hamburger helper. I actually had some sort of weird moth like things get into the powder mix of that… At any rate, I’m now confused … Can anyone clear this up ? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-put-in-the-refrigerator-freezer-that-dont-need-refrigeration/672860/33 "2013-11-01T21:22:17Z")
> [@Strangeland64](#): > > I thought you had to put mayo in the fridge after opening because it would go bad otherwise? Also eggs? I read all the time warnings about people making salads with eggs / mayo and then hearing you aren’t supposed to eat things with those ingredients in them because you can get sick from it… am I mistaken? Ok, based on some place with a name like the American Mayonaisse Association or something like that, and my food safety classes, mayonaisse will not go bad. The oil blocks out oxygen making it difficult for anything to grow in it. When mayo salads go bad it’s because of the other ingredients. So mayo does not need refrigeration. However, people frequently contaminate their jar of mayo with bread crumbs and the like from making sandwiches, so it’s best to refrigerate after that. And it does lose flavor faster when it’s not refrigerated. That all applies to commercial mayonaisse preparations. If you make your own it’s important to start out with uncontaminated eggs or heat them to the proper temperature first, and keep the proportions correct. Adding lemon juice isn’t going to help if you’ve used eggs contaminated with salmonella to start with. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-put-in-the-refrigerator-freezer-that-dont-need-refrigeration/672860/34 "2013-11-01T21:28:52Z")
> [@Strangeland64](#): > > I do freeze extra flour, cornmeal and rice because I had a bug infestation once. I sometimes leave things in my pantry though that still I end up having to throw out even though I cleaned my pantry out and wiped down with bleach and sprayed then waited a while… these are things sealed, like a box of hamburger helper. I actually had some sort of \*\*weird moth like things \*\*get into the powder mix of that… > > At any rate, I’m now confused … Can anyone clear this up ? 🙂 Those were probably [millers moths](http://www.todayshomeowner.com/how-to-get-rid-of-pantry-moths-and-larvae-in-your-kitchen/). ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-put-in-the-refrigerator-freezer-that-dont-need-refrigeration/672860/35 "2013-11-01T21:36:35Z")
I have a jar of whole nutmeg in the freezer that should last me until I die. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-put-in-the-refrigerator-freezer-that-dont-need-refrigeration/672860/36 "2013-11-01T21:44:32Z")
If it says, “refrigerate after opening,” I refrigerate. Otherwise, why bother? I have more important things to take up space in there, like 2 year old bottles of…what is that shit? ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-put-in-the-refrigerator-freezer-that-dont-need-refrigeration/672860/37 "2013-11-01T21:45:33Z")
> [@Strangeland64](#): > > Also don’t eggs go bad ? They are in the refrigerated section in the store? You guys are confusing me lol… Not in this country. They’re sold at room temperature in England, and I store them in the cupboard too. It might slightly reduce the shelf life in theory, but they never last long enough for it to make a difference. I hardly ever have spare fridge space, so I really try and avoid keeping unnecessary items in there. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-put-in-the-refrigerator-freezer-that-dont-need-refrigeration/672860/38 "2013-11-01T21:51:50Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Ok, based on some place with a name like the American Mayonaisse Association or something like that, and my food safety classes, mayonaisse will not go bad. The oil blocks out oxygen making it difficult for anything to grow in it. When mayo salads go bad it’s because of the other ingredients. So mayo does not need refrigeration. However, people frequently contaminate their jar of mayo with bread crumbs and the like from making sandwiches, so it’s best to refrigerate after that. And it does lose flavor faster when it’s not refrigerated. That all applies to commercial mayonaisse preparations. If you make your own it’s important to start out with uncontaminated eggs or heat them to the proper temperature first, and keep the proportions correct. Adding lemon juice isn’t going to help if you’ve used eggs contaminated with salmonella to start with. I just looked at my jar of Best Foods, which says “Refrigerate after opening”, without any qualifiers. Perhaps they’re just playing it safe, since people will contaminate it in a heartbeat. If you’re meticulous about only sticking a clean utensil into the jar, it could be left out without much effect other than maybe a bit of ingredient separation. There are any number of reasons to refrigerate eggs, but probably the biggest is that they are sold refrigerated (in the US) and should be kept that way. The US does not require chickens to be vaccinated against salmonella, but that’s really an argument for cooking them well, not refrigerating. Eggs sold overseas are usually not refrigerated. I used to buy eggs right out of the chicken’s butt when we lived in Africa. A dip in bleachy water killed any surface bacteria, and we usually cooked them well. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-put-in-the-refrigerator-freezer-that-dont-need-refrigeration/672860/39 "2013-11-01T23:02:09Z")
I like to put candy bars and snack cakes in the freezer, I just like them better cold. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-put-in-the-refrigerator-freezer-that-dont-need-refrigeration/672860/40 "2013-11-01T23:21:40Z")
Well, my family never kept syrup in the fridge, but I always do (mainly to keep it away from ants). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-put-in-the-refrigerator-freezer-that-dont-need-refrigeration/672860.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-put-in-the-refrigerator-freezer-that-dont-need-refrigeration/672860.md?page=3)