Avocados — Store at room temperature until just ripe, then move to the refrigerator to stop the ripening process, store for up to 3 to 4 days. To quickly ripen avocados, place in brown paper bag with a banana. Bananas — Store at room temperature; bananas give off a lot of ethylene gas and can make all other produce around them ripen quickly.
Berries — Store at room temperature for 2 to 3 days; refrigeration will make them spoil faster. Wash berries just before eating. Carrots — Store carrots in the refrigerator for up to three months; wash just prior to eating. Citrus Fruit Grapefruit, Lemons, Limes, Oranges, Tangerines — citrus fruits last a long time at room temperature and will tend to take on odors if stored in the fridge.
Ensure plenty of ventilation around your citrus fruit as they can mold easily in close contact. They are sensitive to ethylene, so store away from high ethylene-releasing produce for longest shelf life. Cucumbers — Cucumbers do best stored at room temperature rather than in the refrigerator. They are also highly sensitive to ethylene and should be kept away from bananas, melons, and tomatoes. Eggplant — Best stored at room temperature; refrigerating eggplant can make it spoil quickly.
It is also easily susceptible to ethylene gas and should be kept away from high ethylene producers. Figs — Store your figs in the refrigerator and eat them within 1 or 2 days as they are very perishable.
Figs are a high ethylene-producing fruit and should be kept away from other fruits and veggies. Garlic — Store garlic in a cool, dry location. Use cloves within 10 days after the head has been broken open. Ginger — To prolong shelf life, store ginger in the refrigerator, wrapped in a paper towel, and in a zippered bag with the air squeezed out. Alternatively, wash, spin-dry, and wrap in paper towels, then store inside an open zippered bag to let them breathe. Herbs Basil, Cilantro, Mint, Parsley — Trim the ends and place like a bouquet in a jar of water on the counter.
Storing them at room temperature will ensure they last a week or longer. Mangos — Ripen mangos at room temperature and eat once ripe.
Move to the refrigerator to stop the ripening process, store for up to 3 to 4 days. If you prefer your melon chilled, refrigerate no longer than one day to prevent pitting. Refrigerating melons can also cause their antioxidants to break down. Melons are a high ethylene-producing fruit and should be kept away from other fruits and veggies. Mushrooms — Refrigerate store-bought mushrooms in their original box. Store wild mushrooms in a paper bag in the refrigerator for a week or two.
Onions — Keep onions in a cool, dry location. Once cut, onions can be stored in a lidded container in the refrigerator for a few days. Pears — Store at room temperature until just ripe, then move to the refrigerator to stop the ripening process. Store for up to five days.
Peas — Refrigerate in plastic bag and wash or shell just before eating. Peas have a short shelf life so eat soon after purchasing or picking. Peppers — Refrigerate for 1 to 2 weeks. Keep them dry of moisture, which can cause them to deteriorate quickly. Alternatively, store in a paper bag in a cool, dry location. Pineapple — Can be stored in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
Store upside down for a day or two to allow the sugar stored in the base of the pineapple to spread through the whole fruit before cutting.
Tomatoes technically a fruit should be left out on a counter, even when ripe they will lose flavor when chilled.
Winter squash that is squash with hard shells such as butternut, delicata , and kabocha can stay out on or under the counter. So, what fruits and vegetables should be kept cold? First, some general guidelines for refrigerating produce: For organization and better food preservation in your fridge, use separate, reusable plastic bags, or better yet for the planet , lidded plastic containers or lightweight stainless steel containers.
Do not combine fruits and vegetables in a single container, as ethylene given off by some fruit like apples, peaches, and pears can spoil some vegetables lettuce and crucifers are especially susceptible.
Certain groups of produce can be stored together: root vegetables with their leaves removed— like beets, radishes, and turnips—can be combined in a single container. Different citrus fruits can be kept together.
Salad leaves from lettuces to Asian greens can be mixed and sealed in the same container. Seal some produce tightly, give other types room to breathe: Most vegetables dry, never wet can be wrapped or sealed tightly in your container of choice for best storage.
With the exception of soft berries, whole fruits are better off in an unsealed container. Apples that you intend keeping long term beyond a week and up to a few months should be kept chilled.
They do not have to be wrapped, but they do emit ethylene, so your other produce should be kept separate. Soft berries tend to spoil quickly and should be eaten within a couple of days of purchase. In the meantime, keep them cold, and do not wash them until you are ready to eat them. The list of berries includes blackberries, blueberries, cranberries, currants, grapes, strawberries, and raspberries.
Cherries should be chilled and can be kept refrigerated in an open bowl or container. Make sure you clear out some extra space in your fridge before bringing in that bumper zucchini crop! Surprisingly, most fruits can go either way. Apricots, avocados, star fruit, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, kiwis, mangoes, papayas, peaches, nectarines, plums, and pears can all be stored on the counter or in the fridge. Skip the counter. These fruits and veggies will stay fresh and last longer if you keep them in the fridge:.
The list of fruits and veggies you should keep out of the fridge is surprisingly short! Here are the seven that keep best at room temperature:. Some fruits and veggies can be stored both ways, either depending on your preference or how soon you plan to eat them. We mentioned that most of the fruits on this list can be ripened on the counter, then stored in the fridge, but there are a few other special cases, too:.
Hopefully, knowing how to store fruits and vegetables just got a little easier. While putting most of your produce in the fridge will help you save it for a few extra days, you can stretch your fruits and veggies even further by freezing or canning them. Almost every fruit or vegetable is a good candidate for one or the other or both , so if you find yourself with more zucchini than you can eat in three days, start clearing out some space in your freezer.
Don't forget to wash them thoroughly before eating and it's a good idea to keep your fruits and veggies stored separately. By Andrea Beck Updated April 15, Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission. Save Pin FB More. Credit: Jason Donnelly.
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