Which produce should i refrigerate

Some fruits and veggies can be stored both ways, either depending on your preference or how soon you plan to eat them. We mentioned that most of the fruits on this list can be ripened on the counter, then stored in the fridge, but there are a few other special cases, too:. Hopefully, knowing how to store fruits and vegetables just got a little easier.

While putting most of your produce in the fridge will help you save it for a few extra days, you can stretch your fruits and veggies even further by freezing or canning them. Almost every fruit or vegetable is a good candidate for one or the other or both , so if you find yourself with more zucchini than you can eat in three days, start clearing out some space in your freezer. Don't forget to wash them thoroughly before eating and it's a good idea to keep your fruits and veggies stored separately.

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Credit: Kritsada Panichgul. Eggplant — Best stored at room temperature; refrigerating eggplant can make it spoil quickly. It is also easily susceptible to ethylene gas and should be kept away from high ethylene producers.

Figs — Store your figs in the refrigerator and eat them within 1 or 2 days as they are very perishable. Figs are a high ethylene-producing fruit and should be kept away from other fruits and veggies. Garlic — Store garlic in a cool, dry location. Use cloves within 10 days after the head has been broken open.

Ginger — To prolong shelf life, store ginger in the refrigerator, wrapped in a paper towel, and in a zippered bag with the air squeezed out.

Alternatively, wash, spin-dry, and wrap in paper towels, then store inside an open zippered bag to let them breathe. Herbs Basil, Cilantro, Mint, Parsley — Trim the ends and place like a bouquet in a jar of water on the counter. Storing them at room temperature will ensure they last a week or longer.

Mangos — Ripen mangos at room temperature and eat once ripe. Move to the refrigerator to stop the ripening process, store for up to 3 to 4 days. If you prefer your melon chilled, refrigerate no longer than one day to prevent pitting.

Refrigerating melons can also cause their antioxidants to break down. Melons are a high ethylene-producing fruit and should be kept away from other fruits and veggies.

Mushrooms — Refrigerate store-bought mushrooms in their original box. Store wild mushrooms in a paper bag in the refrigerator for a week or two. Onions — Keep onions in a cool, dry location. Once cut, onions can be stored in a lidded container in the refrigerator for a few days. Pears — Store at room temperature until just ripe, then move to the refrigerator to stop the ripening process.

Store for up to five days. Peas — Refrigerate in plastic bag and wash or shell just before eating. Peas have a short shelf life so eat soon after purchasing or picking. Peppers — Refrigerate for 1 to 2 weeks. Keep them dry of moisture, which can cause them to deteriorate quickly. Alternatively, store in a paper bag in a cool, dry location. Pineapple — Can be stored in the refrigerator or at room temperature. Store upside down for a day or two to allow the sugar stored in the base of the pineapple to spread through the whole fruit before cutting.

Potatoes — Store potatoes in a cool dry place. Refrigeration will break down the starch into sugar and make them spoil quickly. Stone Fruits Apricots, Cherries, Nectarines, Peaches, Plums, Pluots — All stone fruits do best stored at room temperature, then eaten as soon as they are ripe. Apricots are a high ethylene-producing fruit and should be kept away from other fruits and veggies. Tomatoes — Store unwashed at room temperature and eat when ripe.

Storing tomatoes in the refrigerator will make them mealy and spoil quickly. Tomatoes are a high ethylene-producing fruit and should be kept away from other fruits and veggies.

Zucchini — Store zucchini and other summer squash in a tightly wrapped plastic bag in the fridge for up to five days. May these produce storage tips help to save the 14 percent of produce that gets tossed each year. Ready to take your well-being into your own hands? Download the Chopra App for personalized well-being guidance you can access anywhere. Hard Squashes You should store summer squash like zucchini in the fridge, but thick-skinned squash like acorn, butternut, or kabocha should stay at room temperature.

Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes Similar to the alliums we were talking about earlier, you want to store these starchy vegetables in a cool, dry, dark place. This keeps potatoes from sprouting, which is facilitated by sunlight and moisture.

Putting corn in the fridge isn't going to hurt it per se, and it may keep it fresher longer, but if you're going to use it within a day or two you might as well leave it out and free up some fridge space. Stone Fruit Like tomatoes, putting stone fruits—think plums, peaches, and cherries—in the fridge can make their flesh go mealy.

So if you want that incredible, silky, juice-dripping-down-your-chin bite, leave them out on the counter. Pineapple Once you pick a pineapple , it doesn't get any riper, so you should try to buy a perfectly ripe pineapple with the intention of eating it sooner rather than later.