There’s nothing better than a fridge full of fresh veggies and fruit, and with the summer garden bounty soon to appear, it’s important to ask, “Am I storing my vegetables properly?“ But…are you storing them properly? Among the many things I’ve learned throughout these last few months is that I’ve been storing our produce ALL wrong. That’s why today’s post (heavily researched) is all about what goes where.

In the fridge…

Herbs

The key for your herbs is to divide them out by type. The rough, woody ones, like rosemary and thyme can go into your refrigerator crisper drawer. The softer ones, like cilantro, parsley, and basil are happiest when standing up in an inch or two of water. We use glass juice glasses for these and for our scallions, green onions, and chives. They sit in their juice glasses in the door compartment where our condiments also go. You’ll be shocked at how long this will keep your herbs fresh!

OXO sent me this herb keeper a while back and I love it. We use it frequently, though mostly to keep our asparagus fresh (without its lid and with 2-3 inches of water at the bottom). I can attest that it’s great for herbs, too.

Citrus, apples, and pears

These can all live in your refrigerator, though consider keeping the apples in a separate location since they emit a gas that can cause neighboring fruit to rot quicker (one rotten apple spoils the bunch, remember?). We go through apples fairly quickly, so we keep them in the same humidity-controlled crisper drawer as we keep our citrus fruits. Our pears live on a shelf in our refrigerator.

Another fruit that emits a gas is that green banana on your counter. Take some plastic wrap and wrap the stems of your bananas to keep them a bit more fresh, storing the ripe ones away from the green and newly yellow ones.

Carrots, cucumbers, and celery

Carrots and cucumbers are perfectly fine to stay out on a refrigerator shelf. Celery, on the other hand, is a bit more high-maintenance. I learned a fabulous tip on how to store this difficult veggie on a recent Misfits Market box.

I should pause here and say that we’ve been using Misfits Market since last November. This is totally unsponsored, but it’s fabulous. If you’re on the market (see what I did there?) for a great, fresh, organic produce subscription service, use this code for 25% off your first order: COOKWME-HW1WRB).

Back to regular programming. The celery. What you want to do is wrap it first with a paper towel, then wrap that in aluminum foil and into the crisper drawer it goes. It sounds nuts, but this totally works. Our celery has lasted so long because of this trick! And, those leafy green tops are entirely edible, too.

Broccoli and cauliflower

Both of these guys live in the crisper drawer. The broccoli stalks go into a plastic bag to keep them fresh. Real talk: our cauliflower does not make it into the crisper drawer since we just don’t have the space. It lives on our refrigerator shelf and lasts a decent amount of time unless we cut it into steaks and grill for some charred cauliflower.

Leafy produce

Kale, lettuce, and cabbage all go on the refrigerator shelf. I know. Thank goodness, right? That crisper drawer is getting more packed by the minute. I have zero tips right now in how to save space there – maybe one day. Leeks are also happiest on the refrigerator shelf. Store them in a plastic produce bag and they’ll last longer.

Spinach or salad mix

My Dad wins for the best tip when it comes to storing spinach or salad mix if it comes in a clamshell package. Open the package and put a dry paper towel on the top. Close the package, flip it upside down, and store it on the refrigerator shelf. That’s it! The paper towel will absorb any moisture and, I swear, it extends the life of your greens by several days.

Berries

Strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries all go on the refrigerator shelf. We love going berry picking in the summer and will often freeze our berries so we have them to enjoy year-round. Check out this post for more on how to freeze your berries.

Some also suggest washing your vegetables in a vinegar and water mixture before storing vegetables, but we find that pre-washing these soft fruits often lead to a quicker ripening than we planned.

Out of the fridge…

White and red onions, potatoes, garlic

These guys are pleased as punch to live on your countertop or in your pantry. Shallots and sweet potatoes are also thrilled to be in either of those locations as are winter squashes, like spaghetti and butternut. Your summer squashes, like zucchini, need to be in the crisper drawer.

Tomatoes, eggplants, and avocados

Always, always store tomatoes outside of the refrigerator. Otherwise, they can get mealy and just downright unpleasant. Pro tip: check out this recent post on when to plant your tomatoes.

Avocados are also best stored on the countertop. Stick them in the fridge once they’re ripe to keep them from ripening any more and extend their life for a day or two.

Something I learned that surprised me? Eggplants should be stored on your countertop or in the pantry. Who knew?!

Happy organizing!