The Best Ways to Store Your Produce Properly

So you went to the farmers market this weekend, and brought home a haul of fresh fruits and veggies to last you all week (check our guide on how to pick the best produce)—you’re all set for meal-prepped lunches and dinners. But then Wednesday rolls around and you grab an avocado for your morning toast only to notice that it’s all mushy and starting to rot. So what actually happened? Should you have put the avocado in the refrigerator? Did it ripen too quickly because of where you stored it on the counter?

Nothing is more discouraging than seeing all that planning you did for your healthy meals go down the bin. Not to mention, mold and bacteria can pose some real stomach problems if food is not stored properly. The good news is that this doesn’t have to keep happening. Storing food the right way can make all the difference. With a little bit of care, you’ll find that your groceries will last you a decent amount of time. Read on to find out how to properly store your produce.

1. Do not store fruits and vegetables together

As a general rule of thumb, you should never store fruits and vegetables together or in the same drawer. Fruits give off a natural gas called ethylene (the ripening agent) that can speed the ripening of some fruits and vegetables. This can be a good thing, but you don’t always want your produce ripening on fast-forward, because they may end up rotting before you can eat them. Apples, avocados, stone fruits, pears, bananas and tomatoes are a few of the top offenders, while delicate leafy greens being some of the most susceptible to ethylene gas.

2. Fridge space

Now that you know fruits and vegetables are not to be stored together, how do you strategically fit them into the fridge? Not all areas of the fridge are created equal.

The crisper drawers—they’re the two drawers found at the bottom of your refrigerator. Most drawers are adjustable with a few clicks between low and high to control humidity levels. Keep your veggies that are prone to wilting in the high-humidity drawer, which are all your leafy greens, and some herbs. The low-humidity drawer is served for fruits that are high ethylene gas producers such as apples, avocados, bananas (ripe), cantaloupes, kiwis, mangoes, papayas, pears and stone fruits.

The top shelves—they have the most consistent and warmest temperature in the fridge. If your fridge doesn’t have humidity settings for the crisper drawers, the top shelf area can be used to store your fruits.

Keep the drawers about two-thirds full, or else air won’t be able to circulate well inside the drawer.

3. Plastic-free storage options

Most vegetables need a slightly humid yet breathable environment to stay fresh, and are happier if stored in something versus tossed in the crisper drawer. Below are few reusable storage options to help you live that single-use plastic-free life:

Mesh or cloth produce bags—invest in produce bags to keep your vegetables fresher for longer. To use them, wet the bag and wring it so it is just damp, then place your veggies inside. The key to success with these bags is keeping them damp by sprinkling them with water every few days.

Glass containers—many households use BPA-free plastic containers to store produce, but they often retain the odors of the previously stored item. We prefer to use glass containers because they are odor-resistant. The fact that glass makes your foods look pretty is very inspiring too. These are best used for cut fruits and vegetables.

4. Let your vegetables breathe

Before storing, remove any bags, ties, rubber bands, or anything that are binding the vegetables together to prevent bruising and poor ventilation. Vegetables need space for air circulation, or else they’ll rot quicker. Pack vegetables loosely in a refrigerator. Keep them in reusable produce bags for air ventilation.

5. Cut the green, leafy tops

From radishes, carrots, beets, turnips, etc. They draw moisture out of the vegetables, causing them to dry out and lose flavor. Store the greens separately in a cloth or mesh produce bag.

6. Don’t clean your produce until you’re ready to use it

Washing your produce before storing them makes them more likely to spoil. If you give your produce a rinse and don’t let it dry completely 100 percent, the excess water will cause your produce to develop slimy, brown spots and make it rot quicker. Dampness encourages bacteria growth.

7. Only buy as much produce as you’re going to eat within a week

Produce has a finite lifespan. The fridge keeps it good for longer, but that doesn’t matter if you completely forget about it and don’t end up eating it at all. And it’s best to consume when the fruits and vegetables are at its peak of freshness anyway.

8. Some produce is best left out at room temperature, while some does better in the fridge

In an abundance of caution (and perhaps lack of counter space), many foods end up in the fridge that don’t actually need to be there. Many fruits and vegetables don’t have to be refrigerated at all. In fact, refrigerating certain foods can actually change their flavour (not in a good way). It can even reduce their nutritional quality, or accelerate the spoiling process.

   -   To store at room temperature: Store these foods at room temperature in a cool, dry area, and away from direct sunlight. The cold can prevent some of these foods from ripening properly to reach their full deliciousness potential. Bananas, basil, cucumbers, eggplants, garlic, onions, potatoes, winter squash. 

   -   To store at counter, and move to fridge when ripe: These foods become sweeter and more flavorful as they ripen on the counter for a few days, and should be refrigerated after that point to extend their freshness. Place in a brown paper bag in a cool spot away from direct sunlight on the counter to ripen your produce. If you want to speed up the ripening process, add an apple or banana to the bag, but beware that they can deteriorate your produce quicker too. Fully ripe produce can keep well for another 3-5 days in the fridge. Apricots, nectarines, peaches, plums, avocadoes, melons, pears, tropical fruits (mangoes, papayas, pineapples, kiwis), tomatoes. 

   -   To store in fridge: Store these foods in the fridge to preserve flavor and texture, and prevent bacteria growth and spoiling. Refrigerate all cut, peeled fruits and vegetables as soon as possible to prevent spoilage. Apples, asparagus, bell peppers, berries, cherries, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, citrus, corn, grapes, green beans, herbs (except basil), leafy greens, leeks, lettuce, pomegranate, zucchini.