How to Store Fresh Fruits and Vegetables to Make Them Last Longer

Fruits and vegetables make up the biggest share of food lost anywhere between the farm and the dinner table, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). FAO's 2023 Food Loss Index estimates that 25.4% of fruit and vegetable production is lost before it even reaches a retail shelf, up from 23.2% in 2015, mainly because produce is highly perishable and sensitive to handling. That figure covers losses on farms, in transport, storage and processing — before food ever reaches a kitchen — but household storage mistakes add further waste on top of it.

Get the temperature and humidity right first

Virginia Cooperative Extension states that most fresh vegetables keep best when stored between 35°F and 40°F (roughly 1.7–4.4°C) with high humidity of 95–100%, conditions a standard refrigerator crisper drawer is designed to approximate. Root vegetables and tubers are the exception: potatoes, sweet potatoes and onions do better in a cool, well-ventilated space between 50°F and 60°F (10–15.6°C) rather than in the fridge. Tomatoes also continue ripening after harvest and should stay at room temperature, the guide notes.

The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture extension service lists other produce that holds up best unrefrigerated, provided it stays out of direct sunlight in a clean, dry, well-ventilated spot: melons, winter squash and, as above, onions, potatoes and tomatoes.

Keep ethylene-producing fruit away from sensitive vegetables

Ripening fruit releases ethylene gas, which the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture extension service says is a common cause of nearby vegetables going limp or wilting faster than expected. The Arkansas guide recommends keeping a separate crisper drawer for fruits for this reason. Virginia Cooperative Extension also advises storing fruits and vegetables in separate areas of the refrigerator, though it gives a different reason: avoiding odor transfer and bacterial contamination between the two groups. The Arkansas guide adds that some vegetables, such as onions and garlic, give off their own odors that can affect the flavor of nearby fruit, so keeping the two groups apart works both ways.

Don't wash produce until you're ready to use it

One of the clearest, most counterintuitive points across the sources is timing of washing. The Arkansas extension service states plainly that produce should not be washed when it is brought home, because fresh fruits and vegetables carry a natural protective coating that helps retain moisture; rinsing it off early speeds up spoilage. Produce should instead be washed under running water, without soap, right before it is eaten or cooked, then dried with a clean cloth. Virginia Tech's guide adds that rinsing is also meant to remove soil, bacteria and possible pesticide residue at that final stage.

For leafy greens such as lettuce, Virginia Tech recommends rinsing under cold running water, draining well, then packaging in a container or bag before refrigerating. Removing the tops from carrots and beets before refrigerating reduces moisture loss and extends how long the roots last, the same guide notes.

Packaging and other practical steps

Virginia Tech advises removing excess air from storage packaging where possible, since trapped oxygen speeds deterioration in many vegetables. The Arkansas guide recommends perforated plastic bags over sealed, clear plastic bags for most produce in the fridge, since some airflow combined with retained moisture limits both drying out and mold growth. Cut produce should go back in the refrigerator within two hours, and raw meat should be stored below — not above — produce to avoid drips contaminating it, according to the same guide.

Why this matters beyond the kitchen

FAO's data frames household storage habits as one piece of a much larger problem. The agency's Food Loss Index tracks losses occurring from production up to, but not including, the retail level, and identifies fruits and vegetables as the commodity group with the highest recorded losses, which FAO attributes mainly to their high perishability and handling requirements. Extension services' consumer storage guidance is aimed at reducing the additional, separate waste that can occur once produce has reached stores and homes.