How to Store Fresh Food: Countertop Edition

Always store fruit with pits, citrus fruits, avocados, bananas, and tomatoes on the counter—not in bags, and not in the sun. They’ll ripen and taste best this way! (If you're trying to ripen avocados or bananas more quickly, you can put them in a paper bag.)

Keep an eye on those countertop foods. If they hit peak ripeness but you're not ready to eat them, move them to the fridge to buy yourself some time.

Unexpected tip: Don’t store potatoes and onions next to each other! They produce too much moisture to be stored together and will go bad quickly.

How to Store Fresh Food: Herbs & Greens Edition

Store fresh herbs upright in a tall cup of water in the fridge. Trim the stem ends first, and loosely cover the tops to prevent drying. (There are also herb keepers designed for this as well.) Or just wrap the fresh herbs in slightly damp paper towels inside a plastic bag.

Cooking shortcut: Chop your herbs right away and put them into an ice cube tray with a little bit of broth. Freeze ‘em up, and then, later, pop them out as needed to add to meals while they cook. (An even shorter cut? Dorot Gardens cubes of garlic and herbs, found in the freezer!)

Keep leafy greens and cut lettuce crisp by adding a paper towel to the bag to absorb extra moisture! This trick works especially well with bagged salad mixes.

How to Store Fresh Food: Berries Edition

Rinse your berries, then thoroughly dry them before storing. Wash out the container they came in, dry it, and then line with paper towels. (Or use a reusable berry keeper!) Return the berries to the container and refrigerate in a not-too-cold part of your fridge.

Bonus tip: You can soak most berries in a mix of three-parts water and one-part white vinegar before storing them. This kills bacteria (like mold) and makes the berries last longer.

How to Store Fresh Food: Meat Edition

Store fresh or defrosting raw meat on the bottom shelf in the fridge, so that the juices don’t accidentally drip onto other foods. Even better: Add a paper-towel-lined plate underneath.

How to Store Fresh Food: Bread Edition

If you go through bread slowly, freeze the whole sliced loaf. Then toast a slice or two as needed.

Want to make bakery-fresh bread last? Put it inside a paper bag, then put that inside a bread box or a loosely closed plastic bag. The paper bag keeps excess moisture from collecting on the bread's surface and molding quickly, and the bread box/plastic bag keeps it from drying out but still lets it breathe.

How to Store Fresh Food: More Tips & Tools

Try beeswax wraps for covering cut veggies & fruits. They keep the produce sealed freshly like plastic wrap, but they're washable and reusable!

Reusable, sealable storage bags are also great. We find they keep the food fresh even longer than the disposable versions.

Do future-you a favor: Keep masking tape and a marker nearby and label things with the date when you put them in your fridge or freezer. Also label and date refrigerated products like tomato sauce and salad dressings when you open them!

How to Store Fresh Food: Amazon Tools & Gadgets!

• LUXEAR Fresh Produce Saver Containers (3 pack)
• Pomeat Stackable Refrigerator Organizer Bins with Lids
• OXO Good Grips GreenSaver Herb Keeper
• Qinline Reusable Flat Food Storage Bags (10 Pack)
• Aairhut Large Reusable Stand Up Food Storage Bags (12 Pack)
• Akeeko Reusable Food Wraps w/Beeswax (9 Pack)
• ETMI Bamboo Bread Box
• Bextsrack 2-Tier Countertop Fruit Basket Bowl with Banana Hanger