Americans toss out a surprising amount of food.
According to the USDA, about 31% of retail and consumer food ends up uneaten. That’s nearly a third of what we buy.
It’s not hard to see why.
We’ve all been there — grocery shopping with the best intentions, then coming home and succumbing to the convenience of pizza delivery or takeout.
But with the right storage techniques, your groceries will stay fresh longer — and you’ll be more likely to cook with them.
Most of what people discard tends to be fresh produce.
Pantry items usually keep well, and many of us know how to freeze meat quickly.
Produce, though, can be temperamental. Different fruits and vegetables need surprisingly different treatments to remain at their best.
How to Store Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Properly
Storing food correctly not only helps fight waste, it also saves you a bunch of money. Here’s how to preserve your fruits and vegetables the right way.
1. Apples
Although they look attractive in a fruit bowl, apples actually fare much better in the fridge. Left on the counter they only stay crisp for a few days. The crisper drawer is their ideal home.
Be careful your refrigerator isn’t cold enough to freeze them — freezing bursts their cells and leaves you with mealy texture. Also, apples emit ethylene gas as they ripen, so don’t keep them next to potatoes. The gas can cause potatoes to soften and sprout prematurely.
2. Avocados
This one gives you a lot of control over ripening. If your avocados are hard and green, let them ripen on the counter. To speed ripening, place them in a brown paper bag so they’re confined with their ethylene — they’ll be ready for guacamole fast.
If you want to prolong the lifespan of a ripe avocado, pop it in the fridge. Cooler temperatures slow ripening, giving you a few extra days to enjoy it at the perfect stage.
3. Bananas
Want to keep a bunch of bananas fresher longer? Wrap the stems with plastic wrap.
You can leave them together and wrap the whole stem cluster, or separate and wrap each stem individually for slightly longer life. This works because ethylene gas is emitted at the stems — wrapping restricts the gas from spreading to the rest of the fruit. You can also peel and freeze bananas for later use.
4. Broccoli
Despite how often you see broccoli shrink-wrapped at the store, that’s not the best storage unless you plan to eat it the same day.
Raw broccoli needs airflow and humidity. One excellent method is to stand it stem-side down in a jar of water in the refrigerator. Like a broccoli bouquet, this supplies hydration while allowing the florets access to oxygen. The head may last up to a week this way. If that seems too fussy, loosely wrapping broccoli in damp paper towels and refrigerating will keep it fresh up to four days.
5. Berries
If berries mold quickly in your fridge, try giving them a vinegar rinse and storing them on paper towels to absorb moisture. A white vinegar bath kills mold spores that berries pick up before they reach your kitchen, giving you extra snacking time before fuzzy spots appear.
And if you rinse thoroughly, the fruit won’t retain any vinegar flavor, says Allrecipes’ Vanessa Greaves.
Note: This approach may be harsh for delicate raspberries. For those, it’s often better to just rinse right before eating.
6. Carrots
Trim off the green tops, which draw moisture from the carrots and speed up wilting. Store carrots unpeeled in a sealed plastic bag in the crisper drawer for up to two weeks.
If you purchase pre-cut baby carrots, they’ll keep longer if submerged in water inside a sealed container — just remember to refresh the water regularly.
7. Citrus Fruit
Citrus fruits are best refrigerated. The vegetable drawer is the prime spot — and don’t trap oranges in airtight bags or containers.
8. Cucumbers
Cucumbers can be left on the counter, but if you do, put them in a breathable bag or wrap in a paper towel to wick away excess moisture. They’re sensitive to ethylene, so keep them away from bananas and tomatoes. Refrigeration extends their life: wrap in a paper towel and place in a bag.
9. Fresh Herbs
Fresh herbs are among the most waste-prone items — recipes often call for tiny amounts, yet herbs are sold in large bunches.
J. Kenji López-Alt at Serious Eats offers a thorough herb-storage guide. The short version: rinse and dry herbs thoroughly (a salad spinner helps), then either roll them in paper towels or stand them upright in jars of water depending on the herb. For the complete breakdown, see the full article.
10. Leafy Greens
Leafy greens are nutritional powerhouses, but they can be intimidating to clean and store.
To keep greens like spinach, chard and collards fresher longer, wash and dry them well, wrap in paper towels and keep the bunches intact unless you’ll use them immediately. Place the paper towel-wrapped greens into a perforated, unsealed plastic bag. For salad mixes, washed leaves stored in a paper towel–lined plastic container work best, according to The Kitchn.
11. Onions
Don’t store onions in direct sunlight. Keep them in a cool, dark, dry, and well-ventilated area.
Some people thread onions into tied pantyhose and hang them in the pantry. This setup allows airflow while letting any moisture evaporate quickly. Stored correctly, onions can remain usable for up to six months.
12. Potatoes
Potatoes prefer a cool, dark, dry environment — but not too cold. Temperatures below about 50°F can convert their starches to sugar, which negatively affects flavor and texture. Too much light encourages sprouting; they’re still edible if you remove the sprouts.
Potatoes and onions like similar conditions, but keep them stored separately: combined storage will hasten spoilage for both, according to experts.
13. Tomatoes
You’ve likely heard that refrigerating tomatoes ruins their taste. But if you’ve got more tomatoes than you can use, putting overripe ones in the fridge will slow rot for a few days. Just let them come back to room temperature before eating for the best flavor.
Jamie Cattanach is a contributor to Savinly.
