10 Food Facts That Will Make You Question Everything You Believe In

A common kitchen debate is whether or not you should refrigerate butter, and it's understandable to be confused. It's true that butter is dairy, but it doesn't expire as quickly as other products because it's mostly fat. And salted butter is less susceptible to bacteria than unsalted butter because of its sodium content. You can leave salted butter out of the fridge for about two weeks as long as your kitchen is 70°F or colder, but it should be kept in a butter crock or a similar airtight container. Unsalted butter should be kept refrigerated all the time.

If you take olive oil seriously (looking at you, pasta-lovers), then you'll want to make sure you're buying real extra-virgin olive oil. Olive oil counterfeiting is a big deal in Italy, and many imported bottles actually don't live up to their "extra virgin" claim. To be on the safe side when it comes to doctored olive oil, you can avoid the imports and opt for California-grown extra-virgin olive oil.

Eggs have a natural coating called a "bloom" that keeps out air and bacteria, and if you have your own farm-fresh eggs from your backyard, it's totally OK not to refrigerate them for several days. However, eggs that you buy in the grocery store have been washed and their coating has been removed, per USDA guidelines, so they're more susceptible to bacteria and need to be refrigerated.

Not all bell peppers are created equal. Some bell peppers have three lobes, while others have four. The ones with four lobes are sweeter and best eaten raw, and bell peppers with three lobes are best cooked or grilled and contain fewer seeds.