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Experts recommend storing plant-based products using scientifically backed advice. Even after harvest, fruits and vegetables keep living: they respire, breaking down stored carbohydrates, proteins, and fats for energy and releasing carbon dioxide and water vapor. Fresh produce is also vulnerable to spoilage from a variety of microbes, both harmless and harmful.
Putting everything in the refrigerator isn’t a cure-all—different produce reacts differently to cold. So how can you keep fruits and vegetables fresh as long as possible? Here are some practical tips.
Freshness and Quality Start on the Farm
Farmers strive to harvest the best crops, but quality depends on factors before and after harvest. Pre-harvest factors include climate, soil type, and water availability. Post-harvest factors include washing, transportation and distribution, processing and packaging, and storage.
Consumers can’t control farming and shipping, so the produce we buy isn’t always ideal. But once it’s home, we can control how we store it, says Senaka Ranadira, a lecturer at the University of Melbourne (Australia).
Watch for bruises or other damage—these can occur at any point after harvest. Damaged skin speeds moisture loss, accelerates deterioration, and causes nutrient loss. Cracks also allow microbes to enter.
To Wash or Not to Wash?
Don’t wash fruits and vegetables before storing them. Much of what we buy has already been cleaned for commercial sale. If you wash produce and can’t dry it completely, the extra moisture can speed up decay.
Wash produce just before use.
Don’t treat produce with vinegar as some social posts suggest—it doesn’t reliably reduce microbial load. Don’t scrub with baking soda either. Rinse with plain tap water, advises Science Alert.
Storage Location Is Key
Focus on proper packaging and storage location. Those two factors help prevent moisture loss, rot, and unwanted ripening.
You can store produce three ways: at room temperature, in the refrigerator, or in a cool, dry, dark place such as a pantry. Here are common examples of the best storage for different items.
Bananas, onions, garlic, potatoes, and squash do best in a dark pantry or cupboard.
Do not store potatoes and onions together. Onions emit a gas called ethylene, which causes potatoes to spoil faster, while the high moisture content of potatoes can cause onions to spoil.
Don’t store apples, pears, avocados, and bananas together; they release ethylene as they ripen, which makes nearby fruit ripen—and potentially spoil—much faster.
Leafy greens, carrots, cucumbers, cauliflower, and broccoli are best kept in the refrigerator’s low-humidity drawer. Put them in perforated plastic bags to retain moisture while allowing air to circulate.
Do not pack these vegetables in completely sealed bags, which trap carbon dioxide, leading to rot and unpleasant odors.
Apples and citrus fruits can stay fresh for a long time in the refrigerator’s vegetable drawer, though they also hold up well at room temperature.
Do not store watermelon in the refrigerator for more than three days; it will lose flavor and color.
Place most herbs and some leafy vegetables—such as celery, green onions, and asparagus—in water like cut flowers. Keep them in a well-ventilated area away from direct sunlight to maintain crispness.
Don’t Buy Too Much
Buy fruits and vegetables in small quantities so you don’t have to worry about preserving them. Avoid buying bruised, cut, or damaged items if you plan to store them for more than a day. If you do buy a lot, plan how to preserve them long term: for many vegetables, freezing and canning work well.
Grow herbs yourself so they’re always fresh and at your fingertips.
