Eating healthy is certainly not easy, but with a little knowledge and effort it is very possible. A problem that often occurs with people who start eating more whole foods is that the products spoil. After a few days, or even a few hours for some groceries, your food can spoil.
So, how do you solve this? Fruits and vegetables have been proven to be good sources of energy, nutrients, dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals (1). Vegetables are essential for a healthy diet. To eat them, you need to know what to do with them to keep them fresh. Here’s how to make products last longer.
Where should I store my products?
The main issue when it comes to keeping produce fresh is where you want to store it: refrigerator, countertop, or somewhere else. Location can really make a difference when it comes to how long your food lasts.
Food that needs to be kept on your counter is food that still needs to ripen. Certain produce (usually fruit) can be purchased before it’s ripe, so it’s best to leave it on your counter until it’s ready to eat. From then on, it is wise to eat them immediately or keep them in the refrigerator for a few days. Examples of products you may want to leave out of the refrigerator include (2):
- Tomatoes
- Avocados
- Bananas
- Pears
There are also certain vegetables that you should store in a cool, dry area like a pantry, including (2):
- Onions
- Garlic
- Potatoes
- Winter squash
These types of products cannot be stored in the refrigerator, as their texture and taste can negatively change when exposed to moisture.
All other products should be stored in your refrigerator. Especially consider fruits and vegetables that are already ripe or have been cut into pieces.
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Do not store these foods together
Ethylene is a gas that is released by most fruits and vegetables and ensures that products ripen (3).
“The riper an ethylene-producing fruit or vegetable is, the more gas it produces. So if there are other produce nearby, the gas will cause them to ripen faster as well,” says MyFitnessPal dietitian Katherine Basbaum.
Most tree fruits emit large amounts of ethylene, along with a host of other products. Here are some ethylene-producing fruits and vegetables (3):
- Apples
- Pears
- Apricots
- Avocados
- Melon
- Nectarines
- Papayas
- Peaches
- Bananas (when fully ripe)
- Peppers (when fully ripe)
- Tomatoes (when fully ripe)
The above products should not be stored with fruits and vegetables that are sensitive to ethylene, including (3):
- Carrots
- Parsnip
- Broccoli
- Cucumbers
- Asparagus
- Iceberg lettuce
- Squash
- Spices
- Apples
Lower temperatures help reduce sensitivity to ethylene (3). You’ll want to store these ethylene-sensitive foods in the refrigerator, in a crisper drawer. Ethylene-producing fruits and vegetables should be bagged and stored in another crisper drawer.
About the expert
Katherine Basbaum, MS, RD is food data curator at MyFitnessPal. She received her Masters in Nutrition Communication from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy at Tufts University and completed her Dietetic Internship at UVA Health, where she also works as a nutrition consultant for cardiology patients.
4 tips to make products last longer
Now that we’ve covered where to store certain products and what types of products we shouldn’t store together, let’s dive into more specific tips and tricks to help products last longer.
#1: Remove the tops from root vegetables
Root vegetables such as carrots, beets and radishes all have leaf tips that tend to rot quickly, so if you don’t plan to eat the leaf tips, it’s a good idea to cut them off immediately after purchase (4). Then store the stemmed root vegetables in the refrigerator.
#2: Use your crisper drawer
Do not place products on the refrigerator shelves; crisper drawers are there for a reason! By placing products in the vegetable drawers, they are protected and the moisture stays inside longer (5). This ultimately preserves freshness for longer. However, when using crisper drawers, be sure to separate fruits from vegetables, as well as ethylene-producing items from ethylene-sensitive items.
#3: Keep fresh herbs upright
When you buy fresh herbs, don’t leave them in the bag you bought them in. Instead, treat the herbs like flowers: cut off some of the ends and put them in a mug, then cover them with a produce bag (5). This keeps the herb stems alive so you can use the freshest ingredients.
#4: Wash leafy greens
Basbaum recommends rinsing leafy greens under cold water, patting them dry with paper towels or a dish towel, wrapping them in a clean towel to absorb excess water, and storing them in a sealed container (6). This leads to optimal freshness of the leafy vegetables, perfect for salads, stir-fries and everything else.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): How to make your products last longer
How should I store cut fruits and vegetables?
It is best to store pre-cut or packaged products in the refrigerator (7). This also applies to vegetables and fruit that you may have cut yourself.
Do I need to wash my products before storing them?
Apart from leafy vegetables, most produce stays fresh longer if stored unrinsed (4). It’s probably best to wash your produce just before using it.
Which products usually spoil faster?
“Soft fruits (like berries) and fresh leafy greens tend to spoil more quickly than other savory fruits and vegetables,” says Basbaum (8). You may want to eat these products within a few days of purchase.
What types of containers are best for maintaining freshness?
“Containers made of glass, stainless steel, and ceramic are good choices for storing produce because these materials are non-reactive and non-toxic, are easy to clean, and keep food fresh,” says Basbaum (9). Plastic containers are also fine, but Basbaum recommends checking that they are dishwasher safe and BPA-free.
The bottom line
With so many types of produce and different storage methods, it can be overwhelming to consistently eat fresh, whole foods without waste. But learning how to properly store your fruits and vegetables doesn’t have to be complicated.
Start small: choose a few products that you often buy and apply the tips described above. Over time, you’ll become more comfortable with which foods require refrigeration, which are better off on the counter, and how to keep ethylene-sensitive items fresh longer.
Ultimately, extending the shelf life of products is not just about preventing food waste; it’s about getting the most nutritional value from your food and making healthy eating more convenient and sustainable. With a little planning and care, you can go a long way toward sticking to your health goals while saving money and time in the kitchen
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