I have read so many threads on this sort of topic recently... here's one experiment someone did with cheese.

Refrigerate or not?

I too think cheese is tastier when warm. String cheese after a day in the pack tastes better to me than fresh out of the fridge.

My grandparents no doubt had a quick turnover of fresh foods... with 12 kids, you had to replenish frequently. So they had a whole passel of chickens. My other grandparents were city folks and just used Imperial margarine and store bought eggs.