Keep Fruits and Vegetables Fresh

The food items we waste the most are fresh vegetables and fruit. This is typically because we have bought too much or didn’t use it in time. By storing fruits and vegetables for maximum freshness, they will taste better and last longer, helping you eat more of them before they spoil. Storage tips:

• Learn which fruits and vegetables stay fresh longer inside or outside the fridge with this Storage Guide.
  
• Online shelf-life guides provide storage information on all types of food (external link).
• Many fruits give off natural gases as they ripen that make other produce spoil faster. Separate fruit that is very ripe from others that are not as ripe.
• Store bananas, apples and tomatoes by themselves and store fruits and vegetables in different bins.
• Choose fresh foods that freeze well if there’s a chance you won’t get around to eating them in time.
• Consider using storage bags or containers designed to help extend the life of your produce.
• If you like your fruit at room temperature, take what you will eat for the day out of the fridge in the morning, rather than keeping a fruit bowl out.
• To prevent mold, wash berries just before eating.
• Have produce that’s past its prime? It may still be fine for cooking. Think soups, sauces, pies or smoothies.

Download and print our Fruit & Veggie Storage Guide