Many expatriates who visit household kitchens in Costa Rica are often surprised by the number of items that Ticos do not refrigerate. Bunches of onions colorfully hang from rafters, tomatoes and avocados are stored in baskets, fruits are placed on plates or in bowls, green onions are grown in glasses of water, and eggs never seem to be refrigerated. Do these items need to go in the fridge as soon as they are purchased?

Traditional residential construction in Costa Rica calls special attention to the kitchen, which should be the coolest place in the home. This goes back to the days when wood stoves were more common than electric or propane gas models; these wood burning stoves would really heat up the kitchen, which required this space to be cool and airy. To this effect, home builders and architects took into consideration the path of sunlight, the prevailing wind and the shade provided by nearby trees.

Refrigerators were not common in every household in Costa Rica until the 1960s or so. All pulperias (neighborhood convenience stores), however, had a commercial refrigeration system in place. For this reason, many families without refrigerators used to send their children and get fresh items from the pulperias, including eggs. Pulperias, however, are being displaced by Wal-Mart, where many items are sold frozen and refrigerated to begin with.

According to poultry and egg leviathan PIPASA, eggs can be left on an airy kitchen counter top as long as they are intended to be consumed within a week, and this even goes for the sunnier and warmer regions of Costa Rica such as Guanacaste. Buying eggs from farmers who keep free-range hens (or keeping your own backyard hens) is preferable since it is easier to determine how fresh they are.

Some herbs that can be stored without refrigeration for a week or longer in Costa Rica include:

• Cilantro
• Thyme
• Tarragon
• Oregano

Other herbs such as basil and mint will only last three to four days without refrigeration.

Tomatoes, avocados and plantains will last a very long time outside of the refrigerator. The same goes for potatoes and bell peppers to a lesser extent. Many rural households in Costa Rica do just fine without a refrigerator as long as they have a pulperia or market nearby.