Do not keep sweet potatoes in the refrigerator. These root veggies prefer to be stored in a cool, dry place. Make sure there is plenty of ventilation, and definitely do not wrap them in plastic; let them sit fully exposed to air. Keeping them in the fridge will ruin them.
Sweet potatoes “will produce a hard center and unpleasant taste,” according to the experts over at the North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission. So if you like your sweet potato wedges sweet and well, delicious, just keep them out of the fridge, they usually last for quite long before they go bad.
Olive Oil Is Best On the Shelf
There is no reason to store olive oil in the refrigerator. The cold air makes it a congealed, clumpy mess that's inconvenient and will only be messy to use. Cold air does not affect the quality of olive oil, but warmth, sunlight, and air can cause it to become rancid before its time.
So, the best way to store olive oil is to place it in a cool, dark cupboard inside of an airtight bottle. Some recommend using containers that are not plastic to avoid chemicals seeping into the oil. And, if you keep it on the counter, an opaque bottle resilient to light, is best.
Optimizing Avocados
Avocados are usually picked when they are hard as a rock and eaten when they soften over time until they become as soft as room-temperature butter. Refrigerated avocados will not ripen. Leaving them out on the counter, you can keep an eye on their ripening status so they can be consumed at peak flavor.
A refrigerator comes in handy once they have ripened. By storing them in the produce drawer, you can get a few more days out of them or perhaps use them for a nice bowl of guac. But be careful, avocados have a tendency to ripen overnight, turning black and what was once delicious becomes inedible.
What About Eggs?
In the U.S., it is advised that eggs are refrigerated. Here, farms scrub the eggs clean before selling them, and refrigeration is the only way to protect against bacteria seeping in after the natural coating that repels bacteria on shells is removed. So, the answer is yes. In the U.S., you should definitely refrigerate eggs.
However, in Europe, eggs are not washed at commercial farms, and people do not store them in the refrigerator. Also, not washing the eggs causes a greater risk of bacteria contamination, but only if they are refrigerated. With the coating intact, eggs are protected against bacteria but only at room temp.
Don’t Store Flour In the Fridge
Flour should be stored in an airtight container or in a plastic bag. Keeping it in a plastic snap-top container makes it convenient to scoop into your recipes. Regular bleached or unbleached white flour will stay for up to two years, so it shouldn't be necessary to store it in the fridge.
However, when you’re dealing with whole grain flours, their shelf life shrinks to just a few months, so if you need to, then you can be stored the same way. But if you know you won't use it in that short span of time, then freezing it will keep it fresh much longer.