How to store fruit and vegetables so they last longer

Eating more vegetables is much easier when they're still fresh by Thursday. A few simple storage habits can save you money, reduce waste and keep more nutrients on your plate.

Storage guide: which fruit and vegetables go in the fridge, on the counter, or in a cool dark place — Tap the guide to open it full size, or save it for later.

In the fridge (crisper drawer)

Leafy greens: palak, saag, methi and lettuce. Wrap loosely in a paper towel and keep in a container or bag.
Herbs: for dhania and pudina, trim the stems and stand them in a jar of water like flowers, loosely covered, in the fridge.
Crunchy veg: carrots, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, beans, peas, capsicum and gobhi.
Green chillies: remove the stems and store in a dry, airtight container. They'll last for weeks.
Berries, grapes and cut fruit
Cucumbers and courgettes: keep them towards the front, where it's less cold.

On the counter

Tomatoes: at room temperature until ripe. Then use them quickly or move them to the fridge.
Bananas, mangoes, papaya and avocados: ripen on the counter, then refrigerate if you need a few more days.
Citrus fruits: fine on the counter for about a week, longer in the fridge.

Red onions and potatoes stored in separate wooden bins

In a cool, dark, airy place

Potatoes and sweet potatoes: in a basket or paper bag, away from light. Cut away green or sprouting parts.
Onions and garlic: in a basket with good airflow, not next to potatoes. Together they spoil faster.
Pumpkin (kaddu): whole ones last for weeks at room temperature.

Keep these apart

Some fruits release ethylene, a natural gas that speeds up ripening. Bananas, apples, tomatoes, mangoes and avocados give off a lot of it. Keep them away from leafy greens, cucumbers and broccoli, which turn yellow and limp faster near them.

Wash just before eating, not before storing

Extra moisture encourages mould. Rinse produce under running water right before you use it. Don't use soap, and scrub firm produce like cucumbers and melons with a clean brush. Refrigerate anything you've cut within 2 hours.

Frozen is fine (really!)

Frozen vegetables and fruit are picked and frozen quickly, so they keep most of their nutrients. A 2017 study compared fresh, frozen and "fresh-stored" produce (kept in the fridge for 5 days). In most cases vitamin levels were similar, and where there was a difference, frozen usually beat fresh-stored. Keep frozen peas, spinach and mixed vegetables handy for busy days.

To freeze your own, blanch vegetables in boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes, cool them in cold water, dry them and freeze them flat in bags.

Make your shopping last

Buy delicate produce (greens, berries, herbs) for the first half of the week, and sturdier ones (carrots, cabbage, gobhi, pumpkin) for later.
In the summer heat, store more in the fridge and buy smaller amounts more often.
Keep a "use first" box in your fridge for anything that needs eating soon.
Turn tired vegetables into soup, daal, sabzi or a stir-fry instead of throwing them out.

Less waste, more veg on your plate. Good storage is one of the easiest healthy habits.

Useful resources

US FDA: Selecting and serving produce safely
Li, Pegg, Eitenmiller, Chun & Kerrihard (2017). Selected nutrient analyses of fresh, fresh-stored, and frozen fruits and vegetables. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis. Read the study