Produce Storage Tips

Produce Storage Tips
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Listed below are some tips on storing produce for longer shelf life. An important tip to remember:

Keep ethylene-sensitive produce (apples, asparagus, broccoli, carrots, cucumbers, eggplants, green beans, lettuce + other greens, potatoes, summer squash, water melons) separate from ethylene gas-producing fruits & vegetables (apricots, avocados, bananas, cantaloupes, honeydew melons, kiwis, mangoes, nectarines, papayas, peaches, pears, plums, tomatoes). This will help keep your produce fresh for longer.

Tips/Steps: 
  • Berries can be kept on the counter if you will eat them in a day or two.  Keep in the fridge for longer storage without rinsing them first. (Keep a piece of paper towel in the container with the berries.) Only wash berries before you eat them. Bring berries to room temperature before eating them for best flavor. Mixed Berries Storage Tips
  • Store apples, peaches, nectarines on the counter top away from other produce. For longer storage, keep in the refrigerator in the fruit bin.
  • Store melons including watermelons, cantaloupes, honeydew on the counter top.Keep them in the fridge for three- four days after they have been cut.
  • Avocadoes should be kept on the counter until they ripen. They can be ripened faster by placing them in a brown paper bag. When they are ripe they can be placed in the fridge until ready to eat.
  • Mangoes, plums, pears, apricots and pineapples can be left on the counter until ripe and then stored in the refrigerator. 

​Pears Storage Tips

  • Herbs with stems should be placed in a glass or cup with water and stored in the refrigerator or on the counter top depending on the room temperature. For cut herbs or those without stems, wrap them in a damp paper towel and store in a tightly sealed container in the fridge. Stem Herbs Storage Tips
  • Store whole onions and garlic at room temperature in a cool, dry place in the pantry. Cut up onions and garlic should be stored in a tightly sealed container or plastic bag in the refrigerator separate from other produce in the vegetable drawer.

​Onion and Garlic Storage Tips

  • Keep tomatoes on the counter top with the stem side down and not in the refrigerator. The fridge makes the tomatoes mealy and less flavorful.

  • Keep lemons and limes on the counter.

  • Store potatoes and sweet potatoes outside the fridge in a cool, dark place.
  • Asparagus should be stored in the refrigerator with the stems in a glass of water or wrapped with a damp paper towel. Limp or rubbery asparagus can be brought back to life by placing them on a wet paper towel for around half hour or so.
  • Grapes should be stored in a perforated plastic bag or paper bag in the fridge.