Hi everyone, it's time to argue about food again!
Let's just get right into it.
Ketchup is infinitely better cold and that's a hill I'm willing to die on.
Reddit user Monk_Never_Dies asked:
"What is something commonly refrigerated, but actually doesn’t need to be?"
And because some people just want to watch the world burn, folks came right out swinging with all their ketchup-y wrongness.
The Other Side of Ketchup Hill
"KETCHUP."
"This is my hill to die on. Restaurants leave it out on the table. The bottle does not say you have to refrigerate after opening."
"I grew up in a household where the ketchup was always in the cabinet and didn’t know until I got older we were the minority."
- Ambitious-Squirrel75
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Cats and Carbs
"Bread."
"We put it in the fridge because my precious little douche bags (cats) like to take chomps out of the bag."
- ChipTheOcelot
"When my cat had kittens I came out one morning and found they had chewed through the bag. They had then eaten 2 kitten-sized holes in the loaf for 2 of the babies to nap in."
"When I woke them up and they stayed laying down and started munching on bread. Apparently they got hungry in the night and mummas milk wasn't enough but they couldn't chew biscuits yet!"
"I went and got kitten food that day, but they still always want the bread, so we keep it in the fridge and also used the microwave!"
- MeltingMoment8
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Tepid Tomato
"Tomatoes."
"They'll stay edible longer in the fridge, but they'll instantly lose all their flavor when chilled."
"I worked on an organic farm. The first thing we were told by the farm manager is to never put the tomatoes in the cold box since it destroys the sugars in it, so it'll never be as sweet again."
"This effect is a lot more noticeable with freshly picked, vine ripened heirloom tomatoes (e.g, Brandywine) vs. the already flavorless grocery store beefsteaks/romas."
"My mother grew up relatively poor and so was it ingrained to never risk wasting food. She'll always refrigerate tomatoes (and even bananas!) despite my attempts to convince her otherwise."
- Cybyss
"Tomatoes taste better cold, especially on a sandwich."
- AcceptableAd7000
"I prefer my tomatoes chilled... but mostly where the f*ck do I just keep tomatoes? In the fruit bowl?"
- kbsths99
"I didn't know people refrigerated tomatoes."
- Gunnvor91
"I have never seen someone refrigerate a tomato."
- hjablowme919
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Lost In The Sauce
"Soy sauce loses a ton of flavor when it's refrigerated - and it doesn't need it."
"I found this out when I started working at a Japanese restaurant. My parents refrigerate their soy sauce and it just never tasted great to me."
"At the restaurant we use so much of it that we don’t get to refrigerate it. It comes in big buckets and we put in smaller containers for use in different parts of the kitchen."
"It tastes so much better room temp."
- tachycardicIVu
"Food manufacturers often put 'refrigerate after opening' notes on products that aren’t affected by temperature, such as catsup (aka ketchup) and yellow mustard - and soy sauce."
"Refrigeration can increase shelf life, but keeping at room temp is not dangerous if the product doesn’t contain milk or eggs, or if it has a high acidity level."
- No-Sheepherder-2896
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The Butter Brick
"When I got married my wife showed me that butter can just sit there right on the counter, even right next to the stove, forever."
"What is this conspiracy to make people think butter needs to be refrigerated? Is it by the margarine makers to sell their stuff as a softer alternative to butter?"
- obsertaries
"It's fine for a while, but can go rancid eventually. So if you only use it bit by bit over a month it's better to refrigerate it - particularly in warmer areas."
- Hypo_Mix
"I live in the UK, if you refrigerate butter it goes like a brick and you can't scrape it."
"If you leave it on the side, in the best summer it'll be almost-but-not-quite liquid so you can just spread it directly and even in winter it'll spread far easier."
"Butter stays in my fridge only while it's still an unused block, then it goes in a butter dish out on the side."
- ledow
"I found this out too when I got married!"
"Husband was from Maine where it never really gets hot, so I just chalked it up to this, until I realized that even in Florida butter on the counter kept just fine. And it was always the perfect spreading consistency instead of rock solid where it tears apart your bread!"
"So it's a compromise, the box goes in the fridge and the individual sticks for use stay out."
- Coconut-bird
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Cold Coffee?
"My Argentinian flatmate used to keep coffee powder in the fridge. I didn't know why, but this was working for him."
- jehacas74
"The oils in coffee can go rancid and change the flavor. Keeping it in the fridge (especially ground coffee) preserves the flavor a little longer."
"My family keeps our Greek (Turkish) coffee in the freezer since we don't make it too often."
- SecretiveGoat
"This is a good way to ruin coffee, which is extremely absorbent. I guess it's fine if you’re OK with coffee that tastes like your freezer smells."
"Keep coffee in airtight glass containers."
- improbable_humanoid
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Mama Never Steered Me Wrong
"Store-bought mayonnaise."
"I was raised in the South, and my mother (born in 1924) was kind of obsessed with the idea that mayonnaise left out of the refrigerator would "turn" and grow a bunch of salmonella."
"We were repeatedly cautioned to be sure to return the mayonnaise jar to the fridge immediately. When Mom was a girl, mayonnaise was homemade out of raw egg yolks, lemon juice, salt and cooking oil."
"Then I took a food safety course (I was an RN and got assigned to be the safety inspector at my hospital) and to my great surprise the county food safety instructor told us that unrefrigerated commercial mayonnaise only very rarely was ever a problem."
"I still don't trust it though. My mama never steered me wrong, I don't care what the county food safety guy says."
- KaBar2
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Protective Coating
"EGGS"
"In America they are refrigerated because they get washed after laying so the cuticle is removed."
"I have hens at home and i do not refrigerate eggs and nowhere in Europe they do this in the stores and i have never ever bought an egg that has gone bad."
- HairyPlastic
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How The French Do
"Orange juice."
"I found out they don't refrigerate it over in France. That freaked me out."
- TeeteringCrockery
"You don't have to refrigerate it until you open it."
"Then you absolutely have to refrigerate it, in France just as much as anywhere else. It says this on the bottle/carton."
- VivianCold
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That Annoying Kid
"If you're that annoying kid, that almost-emptied water jug, carton of milk, juice container, etc."
- SafeNa_jhokjhok
Joseph Sikora Drinking GIF by Power
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But It's Better Cold
"Salami is a preservation technique that doesn’t require refrigeration."
- SnooPeppers8858
Food Cooking GIF by Wiesbauer
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It Never Lasts
"Orange juice. It’s a lot better at room temp."
"Orange juice never lasts longer then a day in my house, if I get heartburn maybe two days. I buy mine at this store where you can get the fresh squeezed stuff from a machine that has all these oranges at the top and you see the whole process of juice makin’"
"I usually chug half the bottle on my way home and then drink the rest later. It never gets refrigerated."
- LSVSK
Juicing Good Morning GIF by La Guarimba Film Festival
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No Spread
"Peanut butter. I always hated making pb and j with the cold ass peanut butter in the fridge."
"Black people, stop this nonsense. Yes, I'm calling us out. You know what your parents did."
- AlextheLyonnn
"Hispanic household here, was super annoying and weird to have cold peanut butter. It doesn't spread! Why do we do this?"
- NerdzillaFTW
"My fam keeps it in the fridge but I'd like it outside cuz it would be less difficult to actually get a scoop of it."
- WRISTBLVDE
Sad Peanut Butter GIF by For Everest
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It's Gonna Have To Be A Big Circle
"The deepest circle of hell is reserved for anyone who puts jam, vegemite, tomato sauce or chocolate in the fridge."
"You're all terrible human beings!"
- Sowab
welcome to hell swerk GIF
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Sketchy Sailor
"Most things. Even mayonnaise can live outside the fridge, as long as you always use a clean utensil."
"I lived on a sailboat for 3 years with no refrigerator and only ever needed a cooler when I wanted meat, or milk.
Even cheese can live on the counter."
"I'd leave leftovers (rice and bean based dishes, cooked meat sometimes) in Tupperware on the counter for a couple days even."
- mrjigglejam
Suspicious Pop Tv GIF by Schitt's Creek
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Called Out
"Those 2 month old leftovers hiding in the back in the takeout container."
- Dylsnick
"I just cleaned out my fridge and this hits so hard."
"I went from full fridge to basically condiments. I was not proud of what I saw."
- h3yw00d
"I cleaned out my grandpa's fridge a week ago and found mustard in there that expired in 2016..."
- UnicornT-Rex
Hungry Labor Day GIF by Bounce
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Cool To Heat
"I think bagels."
"I mean you heat them up. Why would I cool them just to then heat em up again??"
- SubstantialLie366
Season 5 Episode 3 GIF by Broad City
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Buy Less
"Most people in this this thread buy more than they should and refrigerate things to make them last longer. Instead, buy less."
- CivilizedEightyFiver
Less Is More GIF by PeacockTV
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American Hurricanes
"American cheese food product."
"Read that again carefully before setting your cheese slices on the counter."
"Cheese needs to be refrigerated. Cheese food product does not."
"Learned that surprising fact after Hurricane Irene triggered a nearly $300K food fight of grocery store staff dumping refrigeration loss spoilage."
- thatsharkchick
Texas Hurricane GIF
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So what fridge-food hill are you totally willing to die on?
Join the food fight in the comments.
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Not all pet owners have the same relationship with their pets.
While anyone who decides to become a pet owner, or pet parent as some say, love their pets equally, some never ever let them leave their side.
Taking their pet with them to work, running errands, even on vacations.
Many pet parents even allow their pets to share their bed with them when going to sleep.
For others though, this is where a line is finally drawn.
Redditor Piggythelavasurfer was curious to hear whether pet owners allowed their pets to share their bed with them, as well as the reasons why they do/don't, leading them to ask:
"Do you let your pet sleep in your bed? Why/why not?"
The Tiny Issue Of Water...
"Absolutely not."
"I have fish."- Senior-Meal3649
Everyone Gets Lonely Eventually...
"I adopted an eleven year old cat the day before Halloween."
"She has mostly lived in my closet since I got her, and she hasn’t been too interested in coming out."
"Last night, she came out of my closet and jumped up on my bed, and crawled under my covers and curled up by my feet to sleep."
"I was so happy!"- YellowBeastJeep
The Comforting Reminder That You're Not Alone...
"I recently lost my Greyhound but I used to let him sleep on my bed with me."
"The company was nice and he was no trouble to have on my bed."- HoodedMenace3
Hungry Cookie GIF by De Graafschap Dierenartsen
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What Do You Mean Allow?
"I have no choice."
"She is a cat, cats do whatever they want."- Small_cat1412
"He lets me sleep in my bed."- Poorly-Drawn-Beagle
Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way
"I carry my old boy upstairs to bed every night."- worst_in_show
Hug GIF by The BarkPost
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Who Needs An Alarm Clock?
"I let my two cats sleep with me."
"They're so full of love and just want cuddles all the time."
"And so do I."
"We've all developed a lil routine."
"Get to bed, oldest sleeps on my feet to keep them warm, youngest lies in my arm while I lie on my side (she the little spoon), then when I snooze my alarm for work in the morning the youngest paws at my face and meeps loudly to wake me up."- GhostofaFlea_
Whose Bed Is It Anyway?
"Yes."
"They're also kind enough to let me squeeze into whatever space they've left for me."
"Although I do get a few dirty looks off them."- Therealkaylor
"I found this tiny kitten screaming her head off under a car."
"Would not come out."
"Got some food and some water in dishes."
"I stood by the tire so she couldn't see my feet."
"She got curious about the food and water and started gobbling it down."
"I thought she would bolt when I squatted down."
"She was too busy eating."
"I grabbed her by the nape of the neck and all four legs went straight out and she tried to scratch me to death."
"I got her in the door and tossed her toward the couch."
"She ricocheted off the couch as if she was a ping pong off a table and I lost sight of her."
"I put out food and water and a sandbox and did not see that kitten for three days."
"On the third day, I came home and she was on my bed pillow."
"I thought she would bolt when I came near, but she didn't."
"I wanted to sleep so I tried to scoot her little butt off my pillow."
"She would not go."
"I put my head down to sleep and that is the way it was from then on."
"She ran the roost."- Logical_Cherry_7588
sleepy kitten GIF
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Sleeping Is A Prerequisite...
"No, he's a cat and he cannot keep still during the night."
"He walks across the headboard, opens the closet doors, jumps into the windows and rustles the blinds, etc."
"If he would sleep he could stay, but alas, he's a ramblin' man."- Spong_Durnflungle
Saying No Just Isn't An Option...
"'Let'."
"Lol."
"It's a cat's world and I'm happy to be on her good side."- milaren
Felines Only!
"The cat does, the dog doesn't and the horse certainly does not either."- Xcrowzz
Angry Tom And Jerry GIF by Boomerang Official
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Is That My Hair On That Pillow?
"My dog is perfect."
"She comes up, cuddles til we start to fall asleep, then gets down to sleep on her bed so she doesn't get too hot."
"Jumps back up in the early morning for wake up cuddles."
"The hair everywhere is the only downside but she is so cozy, what can you do."- HoodieWinchester
It is easy to understand how some people are able to fall asleep more easily knowing their friend and protector is there, in bed, with them.
Though we can't blame others who don't want to run the risk of being scratched or bitten in the middle of the night either...
The old wives' tales.
They are the stories of legend.
I think we all need a big DEEP Google dive though.
Where did they originate?
WHO ARE THE OLD WIVES!
You don't hear about them as much anymore.
It's like science and logic are suddenly a thing.
But they sure are a good way to keep your kids and their behavior in line.
Redditor the_spring_goddess wanted to discuss the tall tales we've all been fed through life, so they asked:
"What is an old wives tale that people still believe?"
"Wait an hour to swim after eating."
What a crock!
So many summer hours wasted.
I want revenge for that one.
Say Nothing
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"An undercover cop has to tell you he's a cop if you ask him."
LonelyMail5115
"Pretty much most advice when it comes to cops are old wives tales. I’m not even a cop but most of the advice you hear is pretty off."
I_AM_AN_A**HOLE_AMA
Say Something
"That you have to wait 24 hours to report someone missing."
Severe_Airport1426
"I really think this one is important and should be the top regardless. As it’s a piece of advice that needs to be relearned and the only way to do that is through awareness."
crappycurtains
"This used to be true. I think they changed it after some guy named Brandon went missing back in the '80s or '70s. You used to have to wait 24 hours if the missing person was an adult because they had 'a right to be missing' and then everyone realized that was stupid and stopped doing it."
AlbinoShavedGorilla
Body Temps
"That drinking ice cold water after eating oily foods will solidify the oil and permanently remain in your body. I informed my coworker that if your body temperature ever reached that point, you’d have bigger problems than weight gain."
chriseo22
"Oh, I have a cousin who 100% believed this. One of those guys who believed every early 2000s internet rumor and old wives tale. One night I chugged a big glass of ice water after dinner and he started freaking out and saying my guts were gonna harden."
"I sarcastically told him to drive me to the hospital if that happened. Obviously, nothing happened and the next morning I said something like 'Thanks for being on standby in case my guts filled with hardened oil.' He just walked off muttering under his breath."
apocalypticradish
Arms Down
"When I was pregnant, I was told by young and old alike that I should NOT raise my arms above my head or exert myself in such a manner because it could cause cord strangulation to my unborn sons and daughters."
Fatmouse84
10 Years Actually
Unimpressed Uh Huh GIF by Brooklyn Nine-Nine
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"Chewing gum stays in your stomach for 7 years."
"I remember accidentally swallowing a piece of gum when I was a kid in like 1995 and just accepting my fate like welp, gonna have this in my stomach til high school I guess."
Gecko-911
I was so afraid to sallow my gum when I was young.
This tale is haunting.
High/Low
Hungry Debra Messing GIF by Will & Grace
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"You can tell the sex of the baby by how you carry."
LeastFormal9366
"Pregnancy certainly wins awards for the most old wives tales. So much absolute BS was repeated to us by everyone we talked to."
IllIIIlIllIlIIlIllI
The Cursed
"If you’re a woman and you wear opal jewelry but opal is not your birthstone (October), you’ll never be able to have children, or will be widowed, or just generally have bad luck or something. You can counteract this by having a diamond in the same piece of jewelry as the opal, though."
"I have a nice opal ring that my parents gave me years ago, and I’ve had other women give me this 'advice' unprompted more than once when I’ve worn it. I have absolutely no idea where it started, but I’m pretty sure this little chunk of silicate rock has no concept of what month I was born in, let alone of how my reproductive organs work."
SmoreOfBabylon
Stay In
"Going outside with wet hair will make you get pneumonia. Or an earache. Or maybe arthritis. Depends on which old wife you listen to."
"Jokes on them - I haven't blow-dried my hair in decades and usually leave the house with wet hair in the morning. On winter mornings, the tips of my hair get frozen. No ear infections or pneumonia or arthritis yet."
worldbound0514
Dreams and Facts
"You never make anyone up in your dreams you've seen everyone in your dreams somewhere else before and never make anyone up entirely."
"How would you possibly prove that to be true? My partner adamantly believes this and tells me this 'fact' whenever I have a dream about someone I've never met before."
mattshonestreddit
"My late wife used to tell me that before she met me she would have dreams of standing at an alter on her wedding day but could never see the guy's face, no matter how hard she tried. After meeting me the face was filled in with mine. Don't know if it's true but one of those things I like thinking of every now and then when I miss her."
Darthdemented
Cracked
Getting Ready Episode 2 GIF by The Office
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"Some people still believe cracking knuckles causes arthritis."
Choice-Grapefruit-44
"There's a doctor (Donald Unger) that cracked his knuckles a couple of times a day for 60 years, but only on one hand, just to prove it. Both hands remained exactly the same."
MacyTmcterry
I love my knuckles.
Do you have any tall tales to add to the list? Let us know in the comments below.
