How to store fruits and vegetables to make them last longer

Close your eyes and imagine up to $2,500 laid out in front of you – then picture throwing it straight in the bin.

That’s how much food the average Australian household wastes each year.

Across the country, we throw away around 7.6 million tonnes of food annually – about 300kg per person – and much of it is still perfectly edible.

It’s not just bad for our budgets. Food waste costs the Australian economy over $36 billion a year and contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. Globally, wasted food accounts for 8–10% of emissions, making it a major contributor to climate change.

Want to learn how to reduce your own food waste? One of the simplest places to start is at home. Learning how to store fruits and vegetables properly can dramatically extend their shelf life and give you more time to use what you buy.

Here’s how to keep some of Australia’s most popular fruit and veg fresher for longer.

Apples

Shelf life: 2 weeks +

If they're not ripe yet, store apples at room temperature until they are.

Once ripe, refrigerate them in a sealed bag or container, ideally in the crisper drawer.

Note: Apples release ethylene gas, which quickly ripens everything else around it. Separate them from the rest of your produce.

Avocado

Shelf life: 3–5 days

Avocados are best kept in a dry area at room temperature until ripe, which takes 4–7 days.

Once ripe, place them in a sealed bag or container and refrigerate. They will stay ripe for 3–5 days.

Tip: To freeze avocado, mash it with a little bit of lemon juice.

Bananas

Shelf life: 5–7 days once ripe

Bananas are best kept at room temperature until they ripen, which takes about 2–5 days.

Once they are yellow, refrigerate. This will keep them tasty for about 5 days. The skin will blacken, but it won’t harm the fruit.

Note: Bananas release ethylene gas, which ripens everything else around it. Separate them from the rest of your produce.

Tip: If your bananas are too ripe, they are perfect for making banana bread. Love Food Hate Waste has a delicious banana bread recipe.

Blueberries

Shelf life: 1–2 weeks

Always store blueberries in your refrigerator's crisper drawer (after removing damaged ones).

Leave them in the original packaging or place them in a closed container.

Store blueberries unwashed until they are ready to eat. Only leave them at room temperature if you plan to eat them on the same day.

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Broccoli/broccolini

Shelf life: Up to 4 weeks

To keep raw broccoli fresh, refrigerate it immediately in the crisper drawer. Store it in a plastic, paper or cloth bag and avoid washing it until you're ready to use it.

Once chopped, raw broccoli will stay fresh for 1–2 days in the fridge.

Tip: To keep broccoli fresh and crisp, place the stems in a glass of water in the fridge.

Capsicum (bell peppers)

Shelf life: 1–2 weeks

To keep raw capsicum fresh, store them in a sealed bag or container in the fridge's veggie crisper. Green bell peppers generally last longer than orange or red ones.

Once chopped, raw capsicum will stay fresh for approximately 2–3 days in the refrigerator.

Carrots

Shelf life: 3–4 weeks

After purchasing carrots, store them in your refrigerator's crisper drawer. To maximise the shelf life, store in a sealed bag or container.

Once chopped, (raw) carrots will last for 2–3 weeks.

Tip: To revive a limp carrot, cut off the tip and place it in a glass of water until it becomes crisp.

Cucumber

Shelf life: 1 week

To keep cucumbers fresh, refrigerate them as soon as possible. Store them in a sealed bag or container in the fridge's vegetable crisper and avoid washing until you're ready to use them.

Once chopped, cucumbers will stay fresh for approximately 1–2 days.

Cucumbers do not freeze well due to their high moisture content, which results in a mushy and wilted texture when thawed.

Fresh salad

Shelf life: 7–10 days

Ensure that fresh salad, such as spinach, kale, arugula, and any other leafy green suitable as a salad base, is always stored in the refrigerator.

Insert a paper towel into the bag of greens and reseal to maximise how long it stays fresh. Or layer the bottom of a container with a paper towel, gently pack in the leaves, top it with another paper towel and keep it closed.

The paper towel will absorb moisture that would otherwise rot your leaves. Replace the towel every day for the best results.

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Garlic

Shelf life: Up to 1 year

After purchasing, keep garlic whole and place it in a cool, dry area. Temperatures above 15°C will shorten the garlic's shelf life.

To maximise shelf life, store garlic in a container that allows for circulation, such as a paper bag. Refrigerating garlic can cause it to sprout quickly.

Once the whole bulb is broken, individual (unpeeled) cloves will last about 7–10 days. Store peeled or chopped garlic in the fridge.

Grapes

Shelf life: 7–14 days

Always keep grapes refrigerated. Only leave them at room temperature if you plan to eat them on the same day. Avoid washing the grapes until they are ready to eat.

Store grapes in a perforated sealed bag or container and remove any bruised or mouldy ones before refrigerating.

Herbs

Shelf life: 1–3 weeks

For soft, leafy herbs like coriander, parsley, mint, and basil, remove any ties/bands before washing them gently, then drying. Trim the stems, place them in water with a bag covering the leaves and refrigerate. Change the water every 2–3 days.

For hardier herbs like rosemary, dill, sage, thyme, chives, and oregano, loosely wrap them in a damp paper towel and tightly seal them in a container or reusable bag. Keep refrigerated.

Lettuce

Shelf life: Up to 1 month

Wrap lettuce in aluminium foil and keep it in the refrigerator crisper drawer.

Wash lettuce, then dry it with a paper towel when ready to eat.

Mushrooms

Shelf life: 4–10 days

Refrigerate mushrooms in a paper bag. Do not store mushrooms in plastic bags or airtight containers; this can cause them to become slimy.

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Onion

Shelf life: Up to 1 month

Onions should be stored in a cool, dry place, such as a pantry or cupboard. Store onions in a loosely covered paper or mesh bag for air circulation.

Note: Onions release ethylene gas, which ripens everything else around it. Separate them from the rest of your produce.

Potatoes

Shelf life: Up to 1 month

Ideally store potatoes in a cool, dark place. Keep them away from onions, which cause potatoes to sprout.

Sprouted potatoes are edible if they are firm. Just remove the sprouts before cooking.

If temperatures are around 15°C, potatoes will last for 2–3 months in the pantry. Higher temperatures will decrease their shelf life.

Note: If potatoes are refrigerated, they will convert their starches into sugars. They will develop a sweet taste and darken when cooked.

Strawberries

Shelf life: 3–7 days in refrigerator

Store strawberries in your refrigerator’s crisper drawer after removing any bruised or mouldy ones.

Leave them in the original packaging or place them in a closed container.

Store unwashed until ready to eat. Only leave them at room temperature if you plan to eat them on the same day.

Tomatoes

Shelf life: 1–5 days in pantry or until ripe, 5–7 days in refrigerator once ripe.

Keep tomatoes in a dry area at room temperature until ripe for 1–5 days.

Refrigerate tomatoes only when fully ripe to preserve flavour and juiciness. Take tomatoes out of the fridge 30 minutes before serving for the best flavour.

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It's important that we take steps to reduce food waste, both at the household level and across the supply chain. This will help us to reach our target of halving Australia's food waste by 2030. Want to do even more to help curb organic waste from landfill? Get into composting – we’ve got an easy step-by-step guide to get you started.