Keeping fruit and vegetables fresh for longer can be a real challenge. Between busy schedules and trying to save time and money, many of us shop less often — but that only works if the food actually lasts. If you’re tired of finding wilted salad or squashy tomatoes at the back of the fridge, these simple storage tricks will help you waste less and enjoy fresher produce for longer.
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#1. Ethylene Gas
As they ripen, fruit and some vegetables produce an odourless gas called ethylene. It won’t cause you any harm, but storing items that produce high levels of ethylene alongside those that don’t will cause your produce to spoil more quickly. It’s best to store fruit and vegetables separately, both in and out of the fridge.
#2. Clean Your Fridge Regularly
It may sound obvious, but keeping your fridge clean gets rid of food residues and spores that can cause mould — and mould spreads quickly, causing your fruit and vegetables to spoil faster.
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#3. Don’t Pack Tightly
Don’t pack your fruit or vegetables tightly together, whether in the fridge, a pantry, or on the countertop. Letting air circulate reduces the risk of bruising and stops moisture building up.
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#4. Don’t Store in the Door
Every time you open the fridge door, the temperature there fluctuates more than anywhere else in the fridge. You’ll extend the life of your fruit and veg by storing them in the drawers at the bottom, or in dedicated containers, rather than the door shelves.
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#5. Check the Packets
If you buy pre-packed fruit or vegetables, check them once you’re home. Eat any pieces with blemishes or that are more ripe first, since leaving them packed tightly can cause the whole bag to spoil more quickly. Remove any rotten produce straight away so it doesn’t affect the rest.
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#6. Fresh Herbs
Just like a bunch of fresh flowers, fresh herbs stay perkier for longer when stood upright in a jar or vase with a little water. Alternatively, once you’ve used what you need, bundle the rest together and hang them upside down to dry for later use, or freeze them for adding to future meals.
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#7. Moisture Is Not Always Good
Keeping moisture away from salad greens, leafy vegetables and mushrooms helps them stay fresh for longer. Try storing them in a paper bag, or in a dish loosely covered with a paper towel, so excess moisture is absorbed rather than trapped.
#8. Store Bananas Apart
Bananas produce especially high levels of ethylene gas, which speeds up ripening in whatever is stored nearby. Keep them away from your other fruit and vegetables to help everything last longer.
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#9. Only Wash Just Before Eating
For grapes, berries, mushrooms, tomatoes and other salad produce, hold off washing until you’re ready to use them. Washing too far in advance adds moisture to the surface, which can make produce spoil more quickly in storage.
#10. Onions, Garlic and Potatoes
Store these separately from each other, ideally in a cool, dry cupboard or shelf rather than the fridge. Onions and garlic can be hung in bags or strung up to keep air circulating, but try to keep the bulbs apart where possible.
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#11. Aluminium Foil
Wrapping celery in aluminium foil helps it stay crisp for longer. It also works well for a partially used onion — wrap the cut end in foil to keep it fresher in the fridge. Some families also wrap the stalk end of a bunch of bananas in foil, which is said to slow down the release of ethylene gas and delay ripening.
If you grow your own produce and want to make the most of a glut, consider pickling, or cooking and freezing batches to use in meals throughout the year.
And remember, meal planning and working from a shopping list makes you far less likely to over-buy — which means less waste and more money staying in your pocket.
Do you have any top tips for keeping fruit and vegetables fresh for longer? Please share them with us in the comments below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do some fruits make others ripen faster?
Many fruits and vegetables give off a natural, odourless gas called ethylene as they ripen. It’s harmless to eat, but if you store high-ethylene produce like bananas next to more sensitive items, it can speed up their ripening and cause them to spoil sooner. Keeping these apart helps everything last longer.
Should fruit and vegetables always go in the fridge?
Not always. Onions, garlic and potatoes generally do best in a cool, dry cupboard rather than the fridge, while most other fruit and veg benefit from cold storage. It’s worth checking how each type prefers to be stored rather than treating them all the same way.
Does washing fruit and vegetables before storing them help?
It’s usually better to wait. Washing delicate produce like berries, grapes and mushrooms before you’re ready to eat them adds moisture that can encourage mould and speed up spoilage. Give them a rinse just before use instead.
Is it worth cleaning the fridge to help produce last longer?
Yes. A clean fridge has fewer food residues and mould spores, which means less risk of them transferring to your fresh produce and shortening its shelf life. A regular wipe-down is a simple, effective habit.
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Save These Ideas for Later
No printable this time, but it’s worth bookmarking this page or pinning it to your fridge-organising board on Pinterest so these tips are handy next time you’re doing the weekly shop.
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