Avocados can be tricky to buy because they're usually not ripe when you purchase them. To ripen them, leave them on the counter until they're soft when you gently press the skin. If you won't use the avocado in the next few days, store it in the fridge.
Surprisingly, it's best not to store tomatoes in the fridge. The cold can make them mealy and mushy. Try to buy ripe tomatoes and keep them on the counter until you're ready to eat.
Apples have ethylene gas that makes them ripen faster. You can leave them on the counter for 1-3 days, but don't keep them in a bowl with other fruit. The ethylene gas can make other produce ripen too quickly.
It's not good to store potatoes in temperatures below 50 degrees F, like in the fridge. Cold temperatures can make the starch in potatoes turn into sugar, changing their taste and color. Instead, keep them in a cool, dark room or cabinet.
Onions don't like moisture and light, so it's best not to keep them in the fridge. They can stay fresh for about a month in a cool, dimly lit place like a cabinet or pantry. If your cupboard is full, you can store them in the fridge, but they won't last as long there.
Nuts have a lot of natural oils, and if they're not stored properly, the oils can go bad and ruin the flavor. You can keep most nuts in the cupboard for about two weeks, but they'll stay fresh for several months in the fridge or freezer.
Each grain of wheat has three parts: the bran, the endosperm, and the germ. Unlike white flour, which doesn't have the bran and germ, whole wheat flour includes all three parts. The bran and germ have a lot of oil, so they can go bad more easily.
The National Coffee Association recommends keeping coffee beans in a container that doesn't let light in and seals tight, at room temperature. Light can change the flavor of the coffee, so it's best to keep the container in a cool, dark place