How to Store Vegetables in the Fridge, Plus Herbs and Berries

Slimy spinach, wilted herbs, a mouldy punnet of strawberries: fresh produce is easy to waste, and how you store it makes a real difference. This guide covers how to store vegetables in the fridge, how to keep herbs fresh and how to store berries, using advice from Australian government and grower sources.

Start with the fridge itself

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) advises: "Keep perishable food refrigerated at 5 °C or colder" (FSANZ, Food safety basics). A fridge thermometer makes it easy to check.

Then use the crisper. The City of Sydney notes that the crisper drawer "Maintains humidity", which suits most vegetables (City of Sydney, Guide to storing food).

How to store vegetables in the fridge

Most vegetables belong in the crisper, but they don't all want the same treatment. The Queensland Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI) gives these pointers (DETSI, How to store fruits and vegetables):

• Broccoli: "Store it in a plastic, paper or cloth bag and avoid washing it until you're ready to use it." DETSI lists its shelf life as "Up to 4 weeks", but "Once chopped, raw broccoli will stay fresh for 1–2 days in the fridge."
• Salad leaves: for spinach, kale, rocket and other salad greens, DETSI's shelf life is "7–10 days". It suggests you "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 reason: "The paper towel will absorb moisture that would otherwise rot your leaves. Replace the towel every day for the best results."
• Mushrooms: these are the exception to the sealed-container rule. "Refrigerate mushrooms in a paper bag. Do not store mushrooms in plastic bags or airtight containers; this can cause them to become slimy."

The City of Sydney adds a tip for carrots: "Store your carrots in a sealed container, with a shallow layer of water at the bottom. Replace the water when it becomes cloudy, about every 4 to 5 days."

Cut and peeled vegetables

Once you've chopped something, the clock moves faster. Love Food Hate Waste, the NSW EPA program, says: "Once cut or peeled, most vegetables are best kept in the fridge crisper. Avoid leaving cut or peeled vegetables at room temperature for more than two hours" (Love Food Hate Waste, Fruit, vegetables and herbs). Prep only what you'll use soon.

What to keep out of the fridge

Some produce does better in a cool, dark cupboard. For potatoes, DETSI says "Ideally store potatoes in a cool, dark place. Keep them away from onions, which cause potatoes to sprout." It also warns: "If potatoes are refrigerated, they will convert their starches into sugars. They will develop a sweet taste and darken when cooked."

Keep ethylene producers apart

Love Food Hate Waste explains that "Some fruit, like bananas, produce ethylene gas – a hormone that accelerates the ripening process." DETSI gives the same advice for apples: "Apples release ethylene gas, which quickly ripens everything else around it. Separate them from the rest of your produce." Keep them away from leafy greens, broccoli and carrots.

How to keep herbs fresh

Herbs fall into two groups. DETSI gives herbs a shelf life of "1–3 weeks" and splits them like this:

• Soft herbs (coriander, parsley, mint, basil): "Trim the stems, place them in water with a bag covering the leaves and refrigerate. Change the water every 2–3 days."
• Hardier herbs (rosemary, dill, sage, thyme, chives, oregano): "loosely wrap them in a damp paper towel and tightly seal them in a container or reusable bag. Keep refrigerated."

If you have more herbs than you can use, freeze them. The City of Sydney suggests you "finely chop them and place in ice cube tray wells, covered with olive oil or water." Our guide to freezing and thawing covers labelling and portioning.

How to store berries

Moisture is the enemy of berries. The Australian raspberry and blackberry growers' site, funded through Hort Innovation, is blunt: "Berries should not be washed before they are stored as they will go mushy" (Fresh Aussie Raspberries and Blackberries, How to store). It also says to store them "in the punnets in which they are purchased."

• Raspberries and blackberries: "Raspberries and blackberries are highly perishable and are best eaten within one or two days of purchase."
• Strawberries: DETSI gives a shelf life of "3–7 days in refrigerator". "Store unwashed until ready to eat."
• Blueberries: DETSI's shelf life is "1–2 weeks". "Store blueberries unwashed until they are ready to eat."

Take out any squashed or mouldy berries when you get home. When you're ready to eat any fresh produce, FSANZ advises: "Wash fresh fruit and vegetables under running water before eating."

Where containers help, and where they don't

A clear container makes it easy to see what you've prepped, which helps you remember to use it. The Vuumex Glass Vacuum Food Container Set includes four borosilicate glass containers in 470ml, 800ml, 1.4L and 2.7L sizes, plus a rechargeable vacuum pump. The lids have a date dial, which is simply a reminder of when you put food in. It suits chopped vegetables or salad leaves layered with paper towel.

Containers don't change the storage times in this guide, which come from the sources quoted. Some produce, like mushrooms, shouldn't go in an airtight container at all. Our guide to vacuum sealing at home explains what removing air can and can't do. You'll find more storage tips on our Info & Tips page.

Turn storage into less waste

Plan meals around what's in the crisper and freeze what you won't get to. Our guides to reducing food waste at home, meal prep for beginners, how long leftovers last in the fridge and use-by vs best-before dates pick up from here.

Quick recap

• Keep the fridge at 5 °C or colder and use the crisper for most vegetables.
• Don't wash produce until you're about to use it, then wash it under running water.
• Line salad leaf containers with paper towel; keep mushrooms in a paper bag.
• Keep potatoes out of the fridge, and apples and bananas away from other produce.
• Stand soft herbs in water; wrap hardy herbs in damp paper towel.
• Store berries unwashed in their punnet and eat raspberries and blackberries within a day or two.

Sources: Queensland Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation, How to store fruits and vegetables; NSW EPA Love Food Hate Waste, Fruit, vegetables and herbs; City of Sydney, Guide to storing food; Fresh Aussie Raspberries and Blackberries (Hort Innovation), How to store; Food Standards Australia New Zealand, Food safety basics. This guide is general information only.