How to Keep Fruit and Veg Fresher for Longer, According to Experts

Nothing shuts down a dinner chat faster than a mouthful of spoiled food. Fruits and vegetables can be some of the trickiest foods to keep fresh—unless you know how to store them properly.

We asked the experts for their go-to tips on keeping your produce fresh for longer, making meal prep safer and cutting back on food waste.

One of the most common food storage mistakes? Storing fruit and veg together. While it might seem convenient to pop them in the same fridge drawer, experts say that’s actually a myth.

Proper way to store produce

To keep your produce fresher for longer—whether in the fridge or on the benchtop—store it separately.

Some fruits like bananas, apples, tomatoes and avocados release ethylene gas as they ripen, which can speed up the spoiling of nearby vegetables, especially ethylene-sensitive ones like leafy greens, broccoli and cucumbers, says professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering Kasiviswanathan Muthukumarappan,

Different types of fruit and veg also do better with different crisper drawer settings.

Ethylene-producing fruits such as apples and ripe avocados stay fresher in low humidity, says registered dietitian and food scientist Jennifer Pallian. Vegetables like leafy greens, carrots, cucumbers and broccoli—which are prone to wilting or drying out—benefit from high humidity.

Storing your produce this way can help reduce waste and save money, adds Muthukumarappan.

So, next time you return home from a trip to the grocery store, our experts suggest separating certain fruits and veggies.