Produce Storage Guide (pdf download)
- Jun 1, 2023
- 3 min read
This produce storage guide is going to list out 36 of the most common produce/herbs and exactly where you should store it! Make sure to scroll down to see additional counter specific and fridge specific tips to prolong your produce's life.
Remember, food is supposed to go bad! It's not meant to live forever. It's not meant to be sitting on a grocery store shelf for years, months, or even weeks. Foods should and will eventually spoil, rot, decompose, disintegrate, crumble, putrefy or turn rancid. BUT if there is a way we can elongate our produce - that would be very helpful for our bank account!
Tips and tricks for fruit
Keep apples separate from your other food. Apples give off ethylene gas, which causes other foods to decay more quickly.
Wash berries in water and a small splash of vinegar before refrigerating them to help keep them fresh. Store them in the plastic container they came in, or a ziplock bag. Place them in the back of the fridge where it stays coldest. Make sure to pick out bruised or yucky berries to ensure it doesn't spread to the others!
Do not wash grapes until ready to use. Keep unwashed bunches (grapes still on their stems) in a paper or breathable bag on a shelf in the refrigerator.
Tips and tricks for vegetables
Celery, asparagus, and carrots crave moisture. Use a glass jar (we use mason jars) and fill it with a little bit of water. This will help these vegetables stay crunchy.
Leafy greens like to have a bit of moisture and a cool temperature. Store them with a damp paper towel in a large recyclable plastic bag to help them maintain their deep green color.
Store kale, collard greens, swiss chard, and other hardy greens with their stems in a glass of water.
Keep mushrooms from getting slimy by wrapping them in paper towels before refrigerating.
Store brussels sprouts in a breathable bag in the drawer of the refrigerator. Brussels sprouts on the stalk will last longer than those off the stalk.
Counter specific tips for fruit
Avoid separating bananas before you plan to eat them. They stay fresher, longer when kept in a bunch! Store bananas at room temperature until ripe. If they’ve over-ripened, freeze them!
Store pineapples upside down for a day or two before cutting to let the sugar spread from the base through the whole fruit.
Keep melons out of sunlight until they are ripe. Not removing the seeds in the melon will keep it from dying out!
Store avocados on the counter until ripe, then refrigerate loose. Place in a closed paper bag to accelerate ripening (adding an apple or banana will make them ripen even faster). Do not refrigerate before ripe, or they will never ripen.
Remove bruises for peaches, nectarines, and apricots; the rest of the fruit can be used. To prevent browning in these fruits, toss with some lemon juice after slicing.
Counter specific tips for vegetables
You can triple the lifespan of green onions by storing them in a jar of water on your counter top. The tops will keep growing and you can snip them off as needed!
Coat whole squashes in a thin layer of olive oil and store them in your pantry. They can stay good for months this way!
Don’t store bulbs of garlic in a closed container. It will last much longer if stored in an open basket or a paper bag.
Store tomatoes on the counter with the stem side down.
Cucumbers can not be stored near tomatoes, apples, avocados, or bananas. They are best if used within a few days,
Print out the Produce Storage Guide below + let me know if you try any of these tips!
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