You should avoid storing your apples with anything else, because they emit a lot of ethylene, which is a gas that speeds up the ripening process. It is especially important to keep them away from bananas and citrus, otherwise the gases emitted will cause the fruits to over ripen much faster than you would like. You can keep apples at room temperature, but they will have a much longer lifespan if stored in the fridge!

Asparagus will do best when you trim the ends of the stalks and give them a generous rinsing. This will allow water to rejuvenate and help keep the asparagus nice and crisp! We recommend storing your asparagus upright with a little bit of water in a dish, a glass of water works well also. Making sure to cover with a plastic bag. A soaked paper towel at the bottom of a plastic bag with also do the trick if your fridge is lacking the space for a glass of water with vegetables in it. Never leave at room temperature, it will become rubbery and limp!

It is best to keep avocados at room temperature, at least until they have ripened. If you would like to time their ripening perfectly, you can store them in the fridge to slow the ripening process. In order to speed up the process, place the avocado in a brown paper bag with an apple or two, that should do the trick. After your avocado has ripened beautifully, they can be stored in the fridge. If it is cut, sprinkle the half with lemon juice and try to leave the pit in to prevent oxidation and to help keep it fresh longer!

Similar to avocados, it is always a good idea to keep bananas at room temperature. That is, until they are ripened. Prematurely refrigerating bananas will ruin the ripening process and can make them fail to ripen accordingly. If your bananas haven’t been eaten by the time they start to accumulate brown speckles, feel free to refrigerate them to extend their lifespan.

With beets, and most root vegetables, you’ll want to cut off the leaves right away (If they come with any leaves). This will prevent the leaves from taking moisture from the roots. In doing so, they will stay fresher for much longer! Keep them in your fridge and don’t wash them until you are ready to use them. Any added moisture can result in mold accumulating.

The best way to store bell peppers, and most other types of peppers, is in the fridge. Make sure to leave them unwashed until you are ready to use them! Any moisture can cause them to rot prematurely.

You should always try to keep berries as cold as possible, but not frozen (unless you want them for smoothies). So the fridge is a perfect home for them. Hold off on rinsing your berries until you are ready to eat them, like most other produce, added moisture with cause premature rotting. If your berries come with green caps or stems, like strawberries, it is best to leave those on until you’re ready to eat to preserve their freshness.

Since broccoli is a winter vegetable, it is built to hold up to colder temperatures. That being said, warmer temps can and will lead to its untimely demise. It is best to store your broccoli in a produce storage bag in your refrigerator’s crisper drawer. You can even place a damp paper towel over the broccoli head if you wish to store it longer.

Keep brussel sprouts in a produce storage bag in your fridge. Make sure to not wash them. The moisture will ensure that they will rot in only a short time. This way, they should last for up to a week, maybe even longer!

Storing cabbage is very similar, keep in your fridge and shouldn’t be cut until ready for use. If you are storing a cut cabbage, it is best to tightly wrap or store in a bag.

Carrots, being a type of root vegetable, are built to last. They don’t need any fancy packaging or bag in order to be stored properly. Carrots are very sturdy and can be stored in a cool, dark, dry environment like your fridge.

Celery should be trimmed upon arrival, trim a small layer off of the root side, and a bit off of the top as well. Allow the vegetable to sit in some water for a few minutes. It is best stored in a produce storage bag. Also aluminum foil is a nice trick too. Keeping it wrapped in plastic wrap will trap the ethylene gasses, creating an accelerated breakdown process.

These two stone fruits will last the longest if you keep them as cold as possible. If you can, eat your cherries sooner than later, because they will lose their sweetness over time.

If your plums are too firm, you can leave them at room temperature to accelerate the ripening process. Other than that, your goal is to keep them as cold as possible!

Unlike most fruits, citrus doesn’t continue to ripen after it’s picked. Storing them at room temperature away from direct sunlight is best. Although, you can store them in your fridge if you prefer. They’ll last for a few days to a week at room temperature, and much longer if they are under refrigeration.

The secret to keeping corn on the cob fresh, is to never let it get dry! Don’t remove the husks until you’re ready to get cooking or eating. You can also store the cobs in a produce storage bag with the air taken out to protect them from drying out. Always store corn in your fridge.

Cucumbers are sensitive to cold temperatures, if they are stored at temps less than 50 degrees, they will get cold injury. This results in wateriness, pitting, and faster decay. Some would say that cucumbers are also okay to be stored at room temperature for a few days as well.

Whatever you do, do not put your garlic in the fridge! Refrigeration changes the texture for the worse. Try to keep it in a cool, dry, well ventilated place. 

Grapes should be stored in your fridge, preferably with their bag closed. Make sure to leave them unwashed until you are ready to eat. Added moisture will cause premature rotting and moldy stems! Unwashed grapes should last up to a week in your fridge.

Fresh herbs can be stored in the fridge. Make sure to keep them dry and in a storage bag. Any moisture on the herbs will cause an outrage of slimy rottenness. You can also store them in a glass of water, just make sure to trim the ends of the stems before you do.

Similar to bananas and avocados, you can refrigerate kiwis. You should wait until they are at peak ripeness before putting them into the fridge. They should last for a few weeks in the fridge, but only a few days if kept at room temperature.

The trick to keeping leafy greens like lettuce and spinach fresh is making sure they are not exposed to any moisture. You should store greens in your crisper drawer and leave them unwashed until you are ready to use. If you would like to prep your greens a bit, you should wash, trim, and allow them to dry fully before storing them in a produce bag with a dry paper towel.

Mangoes should also be left out at room temperature until they are ripe. They can be moved to the fridge once they are at peak ripeness. If you would like to expedite the ripening process, store them in a paper bag, with this trap the ethylene gasses that speed up the process.

You should leave your melons out at room temperature, so be sure to clear some counter space for those huge watermelons! After you cut into the melon, they should be stored in an airtight bag in the fridge. Refrigeration will inhibit bacterial growth.

These are a few of the fruits that you should never refrigerate! The fridge will act as a dehydrator and zap all of the juice from these fruits. Instead, make sure to store them in a cool spot in your kitchen.

Like garlic, you should never store your onions in the fridge. Keep them in a cool, dark place. Refrigeration will mess with their texture. You can get away with storing your leftover, cut onions in the fridge for a few days at most.

You can store pears in the fridge or at room temperature. They will last longer in the fridge, but you should avoid storing them there until they are fully ripe. As with all other fruits, refrigeration will slow or halt the ripening process, which can lead to fruit that will never reach full ripeness.

Like onions and garlic, potatoes should be stored in a cool, dark place that is not your refrigerator. However, you shouldn’t leave them with onions, because the gasses from the onions will cause the potatoes to sprout.

Make sure to store summer squash like zucchini or yellow straight-neck in a produce storage bag. It is best if they are kept in the confines of your crisper drawer! 

Winter squash like butternut, acorn, and spaghetti can last uncut at room temperature for many weeks. After you cut them, the leftovers should be stored in a produce storage bag in your fridge. This should keep them good for another few days.

Tomatoes should never go into your refrigerator. Refrigeration makes tomatoes soft and mushy! Keep them at room temperature out of direct sunlight.