Fresh fruits and vegetables aren’t cheap, so it’s especially aggravating when a large portion spoils before you can enjoy it. What makes it more annoying is that some produce appears to remain good for ages, while other items wilt the minute you bring them home.
The secret to predicting how long your weekly produce will last is considering its water content. A berry will perish far sooner than an apple because berries are largely water. They’re also commonly packed closely together, creating an ideal environment for mold to take hold and ruin your sweet snack.
High-moisture fruits and vegetables spoil faster than lower-moisture ones, which is likely why you recently tossed a half-used bag of spinach in the trash.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. Knowing how quickly various items deteriorate and the best storage methods lets you plan your purchases better and, most importantly, saves you money.
Fresh for: 1 to 3 Days
1. Asparagus
If you plan meals ahead, try to use asparagus within two to three days of buying it. While fresh asparagus can survive up to five days in the refrigerator, the ends often desiccate and the tips soften and lose color fairly quickly, meaning less of the bunch will be usable over time.
You can prolong asparagus’ life by trimming the stems and standing the stalks upright in a jar with an inch or two of water. Loosely cover the top with a plastic bag and your asparagus could last as long as a week.
2. Berries
You open a container of berries, eat half, and the next day the remainder are coated in mold. Sadly, once berries go bad there’s little that can be done, but improved storage can stretch their usable life.
Remove them from their clamshell and place them in a container lined with paper towels, arranging them in a single layer without stacking. When berries are crowded, moisture becomes trapped between them and mold is more likely to grow.
Store berries in the fridge, ideally uncovered. If you want to be thorough, see this New York Times piece about a hot-water method that can extend berry freshness for days and might even reverse early mold.
3. Fresh Leafy Greens
Leafy greens such as spinach, lettuce and kale have a relatively brief life of three to five days, so if you plan to eat them in salads, use them soon. Otherwise that crisp texture will swiftly turn limp.
The plastic bags many greens are sold in trap moisture. Kale tends to be sturdier because it has lower moisture content. Spinach and lettuce, by contrast, are wetter and lack protective skins. Combined with typical processing and packaging, that makes them more vulnerable to foodborne contaminants.
First, remove greens from their packaging. Keeping them in airtight containers with a layer of paper towels can keep them crisp for up to a week. Monitor them and remove any wilting leaves so the remainder stay fresh.
4. Peaches
Peaches are delicate. They’re best refrigerated but often won’t stay good for more than about four days.
The trick is to keep them separate from other fruit and ethylene-producing vegetables like broccoli or green beans. Ethylene is a gas emitted as produce begins to spoil and it accelerates ripening in nearby items.
Fresh for: 3 to 6 Days
5. Avocados
You might be surprised to find avocados here. If you buy them ripe they’ll go bad fast, but slightly underripe avocados can sit on your countertop for up to four days.
Once they reach perfect ripeness, pop them in the refrigerator to keep them edible for another two to three days.
6. Bananas
Bananas typically last three days to a week on the counter. Store them in a cool, well-ventilated place and remove any plastic packaging.
As with many fruits, keep bananas away from other fruit and even away from other bananas that are already ripe. Bananas both emit and are sensitive to ethylene, so separating them helps them—and your other produce—stay fresher longer. Tossing all your fruit into a single bowl when you get home may not be the best move.
7. Broccoli
Broccoli is a bit sturdier than leafy greens, but it is still moisture-sensitive. It typically keeps in the refrigerator for three to five days, and can remain fresh up to a week if stored with a paper towel inside an airtight bag.
Keeping broccoli wrapped in plastic can also reduce its exposure to ethylene, which helps extend its shelf life.
8. Green Beans
Green beans will last longer than many leafy greens, with a shelf life of about three to five days. Store them with a paper towel inside an airtight bag and they may stay good up to a week.
9. Tomatoes
First, keep tomatoes out of the fridge unless they’re fully ripe. Store them at room temperature, not stacked, and out of direct sunlight. They will usually remain good for about a week this way.
Once tomatoes are fully ripe you can refrigerate them for a day or two, but any longer and you risk diminishing their flavor and texture.
Fresh for: A Week or Longer
10. Apples
Apples are among the longest lasting fruits mentioned here. While apples can start to decline within a week at room temperature, they can remain fine for up to six weeks in the refrigerator’s produce drawer, especially if not jammed in with other items.
11. Carrots
Another resilient option: unpeeled carrots and baby carrots can last as long as a month. Carrots are one of the vegetables with the greatest longevity.
Keep an eye out for mold, but stored in the crisper drawer, carrots generally take care of themselves.
12. Cauliflower
This veggie keeps on going. Due to its low moisture content, cauliflower can stay good in your fridge for up to two weeks. Remove plastic if you notice condensation forming, especially near the stem.
13. Potatoes
Potatoes can last as long as two months when kept in a cool, dark place away from sunlight—your pantry is ideal.
14. Squash
It varies by type, but most squash will persist for one to three months. If they become mushy or show mold, discard them. Squash doesn’t need refrigeration and will do well stored in a clean, cool, dark spot like a pantry.
Editor: Claire Donovan is a contributor to Savinly.
