A staggering 40% of all food produced is wasted each year in the good ole U.S. of A. A portion of that can be contributed to the persnickety eaters we talked about last time. But I am willing to bet that more of it is the direct result of improper storage. This Food Saver Friday, we are talking food storage – general rules, a few random food storage facts, and how to properly store produce.
To Refrigerate or Not to Refrigerate – How to Properly Store Produce
In most cases food storage is fairly easy. Whether it is a package of beefy goodness or something more processed like cheeses and such, you just follow the instructions on the package label and you are good to go. Where it gets a little hairy (sometimes literally on account of the mold) for me is in the area of fruits and veggies. You know – the perishable produce that comes without handy-dandy informative label with storage instructions.
As a General Rule
- Fruits and veggies should not be stored in the same place. It’s true. They are real-life frenemies and they need their space, on account of the fruit’s flatulence. Okay, not really. But, fruit does give off a gas called ethylene that encourages aging, hastens ripening, and thus, the rotting of innocent bystanders such as veggies. *Hint: This is the single most important step to successful produce storage.
- Veggies need air. Vegetables like to breathe (no wonder they don’t like the flatulent fruits much) and should be stored in such a way that allows for some air circulation. Packing veggies in tight or storing them in an air tight container is just asking for speedy spoilage.
- A pre-storage wash is not required. Really it’s not even encouraged. Washing your fruits and veggies and putting them away damp is like sending an open invitation for a bacteria infestation and a case of the rapid rot. So, it’s really best to not wash your produce prior to storage, but rather just before you eat it.
Little Did I Know
The following are a few fun facts that came as news to me in my research for this post. What about you? Did you know these things? If so, why were you holding out on me?
- So you know how most refrigerators have not one but two crisper drawers? Yep, that is because one should be used for the fruit and the other for the veg. I had no idea. #mindblown
- Potatoes should not be stored next to onions. Nope. Onions in all their layers cause the spuds to sprout, on account of the ethylene gas they give off. Wait. Does that mean onions are a fruit?!?!
- Bananas. Want them to keep longer? Pull them apart and cover their stems with plastic wrap. Why? Well, because doing so reduces the amount of ethylene gas they give off, which in turn slows the ripening process.
- The key to crisp celery that keeps for a month – aluminum foil. That’s right. Celery tightly wrapped in aluminum foil and stored in the refrigerator will not only keep for a month, it will also remain crisp as the day you bought it.
- Cucumbers do not like to be cold. They prefer temperatures above 50 degrees Fahrenheit. So, that means the refrigerator is not really their favorite place to hang. Makes you rethink the phrase, “cool as cucumber,” doesn’t it?
The Infographic
This, my friends, is a cheat sheet I made in the wee hours of the morning. It is Pinable and also an easy-to-read guide on how to store produce.
*Update, or rather, correction: Apples, avocado, kiwi, nectarines, peaches, pears, and plums continue to ripen on the counter, storing them in the refrigerator once they have reached desired ripeness can add a few additional days of freshness.
Additional Resources
These two links are where I got the bulk of the information for this post. And, if you couldn’t tell based on the Little Did I Know section, I needed this info. Turns out – I haven’t been doing myself any favors food waste-wise by putting my cucumbers in the frig, keeping my bananas in a nice neat bunch, and storing my potatoes right next to my onions…
UCDavis Storing Fresh Fruits and Vegetables for Better Taste
The Kitchn’s Guide to Storing Fruits and Vegetables
Next Time on Food Saver Friday
Next time – next time we are talking preservation, which is like storage but different. Preservation is food storage for the long-term, in other words, vacuum packing, freezing, canning, and dehydrating. In the meantime, if you have questions feel free to leave them here in the comments, or shoot us an email using the Contact Me page. And if you’ve missed any of the food saving goodness, click here to catch up.
Hello! I’m Terryn – the wife, mother, food safety enthusiast, Stormy Kromer fanatic who has slightly (okay, a lot) random tendencies, dabbles in photography, and shares (maybe a little too much) here at FFB.
Good Information, Terryn! It’s so easy to toss all the produce in the fridge. That is what we always think to do, but obviously is not the best for the produce.
Right?!?! I always wondered why my cucumbers would get soft and wilted after just a couple of days in the fridge – now I know I was storing them all wrong. Thanks for reading, Robyn!
Now I know why my veggies ripen do fsdt, I’ve been putting them with the fruit . I’m 52 and never new this! Thank you , maybe my stuff wil last longer now I separate and also don’t put stuff that doesn’t belong in the fridge in it:)
I am so glad you found this information valuable! The little trick of wrapping celery is foil is pretty much amazing – I had celery that I wrapped in foil keep for two months. Thanks so much for reading and check back for more food saving tips and tricks every Friday on Food Saver Friday! 🙂
Would you happen to have a copy of the “To refrigerate or not to refrigerate” that is printable? I cannot seem to get it all by itself to print it out, I’d like to keep it on my refrigerator for future use. You can send it to my email address (if u have one that is ?). I am thanking you in advance whether you have it or not. Thank you very much.
Hi Brenda! I do not have a printable at this time, but what a great idea! I will whip one up in the next couple of days and send it your way. Thanks so much for reading, and the excellent idea! 🙂
I am an apple farmer and apples do need to be refrigerated so they don’t over ripen. If more people refrigerated apples, they would be happier with the quality.
Hi Abby! I have never met an apple farmer before, thank you for reaching out! I am sending you an email with a correction for the post to make sure my correction is correct. Thanks again!
Great info. Good to know to slow down waste. God bless. Also can you send me a copy of what to store in fridge and what not, via email. Thanks, Maria
Hi Maria! Thank you for reading. If you enter your email just below the graphic, a printable copy of the food storage cheat sheet will automatically be sent to you. By doing so, you may also receive future emails from me regarding food waste and how to reduce it – please, feel free to unsubscribe at any time.
Thanks again and have a great day!
Love this post! Thanks. Is there a companion with suggestions on how to store once cut?
Hello there!
I don’t have a companion post, but this one from my friend Alli has some great tips on freezer preservation – https://longbournfarm.com/freezer-favorites/
Thanks so much for reading!
Some of the non refrigerated items depend on time of year and wether you have air conditioning. In hot summer months I’ve found some of those items only last a couple days. Been there done that. Too expensive to waste. Therefore, I refrigerate them in summer.
Hi Rosemary! That’s definitely something to consider. This guide is geared more toward quality, but I know many who get along great refrigerating lots (if not all) of their produce. Thanks so much for stopping by and reading! 🙂
What about after you cut something and store the rest of it. Such as half a tomato or cucumber? Should they be refrigerated?
Yes, anytime produce is cut it should be refrigerated or used. This guide is geared more toward quality and eating experience. That said, I know many who go ahead and refrigerate all of their produce and get along just fine. The most important takeaway from this guide is definitely to store fruits separate from vegetables.
Thanks so much for reading and reaching out!