Tomatoes that are eaten as they have just been taken out of the refrigerator certainly taste different, at least for me. Just had a recent contradictory discussion with my gf about this, as I choose to always keep the vegetables out of the refrigerator. The same goes for fruits. Butter is different, if you keep it for more than an hour at room temperature (20-21 Celsius) it will most certainly start to melt, I personally do not like that.
The melting point of butter is 90-95°F (32-35°C)[0]. My family always kept it out on the counter, even in the summer. It never gets that hot inside thanks to the insulation required to keep the house warm in the winter.
I agree with you about the Tomatoes though. That one is backed by science, but what else is impacted by refrigeration that hasn't been discovered by science yet? There's no danger in leaving produce on the counter so long as you eat it within 2-3 days. It varies, of course. I keep bananas on the counter for a full week.
> Butter is different, if you keep it for more than an hour at room temperature (20-21 Celsius) it will most certainly start to melt
It will not. It remains on my kitchen counter in a ceramic or glass container and keeps its shape. Lots of people do this, look up "butter bell" or "butter keeper" For example: http://goo.gl/fLIotj
"Butter is different, if you keep it for more than an hour at room temperature (20-21 Celsius) it will most certainly start to melt, I personally do not like that."
