Fresh fruits and vegetables are nutritious and delicious, whether home-grown or purchased—but they're also perishable. Knowing how to store produce correctly extends its life, makes the most out of seasonal bounty, and reduces food waste.
Some fruits should be refrigerated at once, but others may not ripen in the cold and are best kept out on the counter, then chilled. Some vegetables should be kept chilled, while others need to be kept in the airy dark. Simply put, there's a lot of variation, which mean it's helpful to know what goes where—and why. Here, you'll find a primer on how to store every piece of fresh produce properly.
A quick aside: The phrase "on the counter" might literally mean the kitchen counter for you, but it can include other storage areas, like beneath your kitchen island, in a walk-in pantry, in hanging produce baskets, or on an open shelf. In other words, wherever you have room!
Our Complete Seasonal Produce Guide: Here's When Every Fruit and Vegetable Is Ripe (and Tastes the Best)
First, some general guidelines for refrigerating produce: For organization and better food preservation in your fridge, use separate, reusable plastic bags, or better yet (and better for the planet), lidded plastic containers or lightweight stainless steel containers.
Never combine fruits and vegetables in a single container, as ethylene given off by some fruit (like apples, peaches, and pears) can spoil some vegetables (lettuce and crucifers are especially susceptible).
Certain groups of produce can be stored together:
Root vegetables with their leaves removed—like beets, radishes, and turnips—can be combined in a single container.
Different citrus fruits can be kept together.
Salad leaves (from lettuces to Asian greens) can be mixed and sealed in the same container.
You'll want to seal some produce tightly, and give other types room to breathe: Most vegetables (dry, never wet) can be wrapped or sealed tightly in your container of choice for best storage. With the exception of soft berries, whole fruits are better off in an unsealed container.
Your Section-by-Section Guide to Storing Foods in the Fridge, From the Upper Shelves to the Crisper Drawers
Fruits That Should Not Be Stored in the Refrigerator
The following fruits will continue to ripen if left out on the counter. When perfectly ripe, they can be refrigerated for a few days to extend their usefulness a little longer (yes, even bananas: while their skins may blacken, the fruit will be unspoiled). But as a general rule, they shouldn't be placed into the fridge until they reach that ready-to-eat point.
Apricots
Asian pears
Avocado
Bananas
Guava
Kiwis
Mangoes
Melons
Nectarines
Papayas
Passion fruit
Pawpaw
Peaches
Pears
Persimmons
Pineapples
Plantain
Plums
Starfruit
Soursop
Quince
Fruits That Should Be Stored in the Refrigerator
So, what fruits should be refrigerated? We explore the varieties that deserve a permanent spot in your fridge.
Apples that you intend keeping long term (beyond a week and up to a few months) should be kept chilled. They do not have to be wrapped, but they do emit ethylene, so your other produce should be kept separate.
Soft berries including blackberries, blueberries, cranberries, currants, grapes, strawberries, and raspberries, tend to spoil quickly and should be eaten within a couple of days of purchase. In the meantime, keep them cold, and do not wash them until you are ready to eat them.
Cherries should be chilled and can be kept refrigerated in an open bowl or container.
While some sources suggest leaving citrus fruit (like lemons, limes, oranges, and grapefruits)at room temperature, in our experience, ripe citrus lasts significantly longer if kept chilled. The fruits do not need to be wrapped or sealed and fare best when kept in an open container in a produce drawer.
Figs, longans, lychees, mangosteens, and pomegranates all last longer if kept chilled. (Other tropicals can be left out until ripe and then refrigerated until you are ready to eat them.)
Vegetables That Should Not Be Stored in the Refrigerator
There are more variations when it comes to vegetables—but defer to these general rules regarding veggies that should't be stored in the fridge.
Garlic and onions (but not scallions!) still in their skins can stay on the counter, but once peeled or cut, keep them wrapped in the fridge. Store them apart from potatoes, as potatoes emit some ethylene that can cause the onions to sprout.
Potatoes, taro, sweet potatoes, and yuca (cassava, manioc) should not be refrigerated. Keep these starchy tubers in a cool, dark, airy space, loosely stacked in a bowl or bins, but not in plastic bags (or moisture will accumulate and will encourage mold and deterioration).
Tomatoes(technically a fruit) should be left out on a counter, even when ripe (they will lose flavor when chilled).
Winter squash (that is squash with hard shells such as butternut, delicata, and kabocha) can stay out on or under the counter.
Vegetables That Should Be Stored in the Refrigerator
Most vegetables last longer when kept chilled. The list includes:
TOMATOES. Keep your tomatoes juicy, tasty and ready for your next Tomato and Ricotta Pizza by storing them at room temperature rather than in the fridge.
Most fresh fruit, including apples, berries and grapes, will last longer if kept in their original packaging and stored in the crisper of your fridge. Berries can last in the fridge for about a week. It's a good idea to eat as soon as possible so they don't spoil.
But many other fruits and veggies need to spend some time on the counter before they're ready to eat. Apples, avocados, peaches and pears are examples of produce that should be left out of the fridge until they've ripened.
But there are many vegetables that are starchy in nature, such as corns, potatoes, cowpeas, black-eyed peas and water chestnuts. You should never mix them with high protein fruits and vegetables such as raisins, guava, spinach and broccoli.
Ethylene-producing fruits, such as apples, bananas, peaches and honeydew melons, should not be stored next to avocados, lemons, grapes, onions and other fruits or vegetables that are sensitive to this compound. Also, you should never store ethylene-producing fruits together.
Bananas grow in hot climates, so they are unused to the cold. If they're kept at a cold temperature, the enzymes that enable them to ripen are inhibited. And as those enzymes become inactive, other enzymes operate more efficiently. Some cause cell damage, while others (browning enzymes) cause the skin to blacken.
Do Fresh Eggs Need to Be Refrigerated? Freshly laid eggs need to be refrigerated immediately. Fresh eggs purchased from a farmers market need to be refrigerated as soon as you get home. Per USDA guidelines, eggs should be stored at 40 degrees F or below to help minimize the risk of Salmonella.
Unless you're a busy diner going through and refilling ketchup bottles every day or two, you should store your ketchup in the fridge. This is because, just like pickles, the flavor and texture declines after you open the bottle or jar and the ketchup is exposed to air.
You can leave blueberries at room temperature if you plan to eat them in the next day or so, but after that you should transfer them to the fridge—they can stay there for five to 10 days. Of course, you can freeze them if you want to keep them longer than that. Frozen blueberries will last about six months.
Wrap the stems with plastic wrap to keep the bananas ripe for longer or to stop them from becoming overripe too quickly. This method slows down the release of ethylene gas, which is responsible for ripening fruits. Prevent sliced bananas from browning by dipping them in lemon juice or orange juice.
You'll have to store your carrots in the refrigerator, but how you store them can actually make a difference. Raw carrots, when properly stored will usually stay fresh for around 3 to 4 weeks in the fridge. If your carrots are sliced or chopped, you can store them in the fridge and they'll last for about 2 to 3 weeks.
That's right. Apples do best in an environment with 90% humidity. Did you know that your refrigerator is a natural dehydrator? It's easy to see this if you have ever left apples (or other produce for that matter) in the crisper for a while only to slide open that drawer and find a very shriveled up piece of fruit.
Even though cucumbers are prone to chilling injury, the fridge is still the best place to store them. At room temperature, cucumbers will only last for about two days. So, what's the solution? Store cucumbers in the warmest part of the fridge — towards the front, furthest from the cooling elements.
You'll have to store your carrots in the refrigerator, but how you store them can actually make a difference. Raw carrots, when properly stored will usually stay fresh for around 3 to 4 weeks in the fridge. If your carrots are sliced or chopped, you can store them in the fridge and they'll last for about 2 to 3 weeks.
Yes, but only as a last resort. The reason why refrigeration should only be used for tomatoes reaching their shelf life is because it change the flavor and texture. A chilled tomato should always be given the chance to come back to room temperature, which is where its natural flavor and texture shines.
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