How to keep your fruits and vegetables fresh for longer, according to a farmer and food scientists

Your total comes to … what!?! If you’re regularly leaving the grocery store in disbelief over how much you’ve just spent on your weekly staples, it can sting even more when you spy fuzz on your organic strawberries or your spinach wilts before you’ve had the chance to use it. And how did your bananas go from green to brown seemingly overnight?

While no produce lasts forever, you can be smart about storage to extend the life of those fruits and vegetables (and save yourself a midweek shopping run). We tapped a farmer, along with several food scientists, for advice on how to get the most out of your precious produce.

Shop wisely

You’re probably already doing this, but a reminder never hurts. The first step toward making sure your fruits and vegetables will last is picking out good produce, Joy Dubost, a dietitian, food scientist and founder of NJOY Health & Nutrition, tells Yahoo Life. That means making sure there are no obvious bruises, soft spots or wilting. Otherwise, you’ll be starting off on the wrong foot.

Keep in mind that if you use a grocery delivery service, you’re passing the buck on this important step to someone else. Also, if your produce is imported (and a lot of it is), it’s already been a while since it was harvested. If you can buy domestic or even from local farmers, you’ll likely get a little more life out of your fruits and vegetables than if it was shipped across international borders.

Keep a little food science on the back burner

Certain fruits, including bananas, apples and tomatoes, give off ethylene gas, Lisa R. Young, adjunct professor of nutrition at New York University, tells Yahoo Life. “This speeds up ripening,” she explains. As a result, Young says it’s important to store these fruits separately — meaning, you don’t want to put your bananas and apples together in a fruit bowl.

You also want to keep these gassy fruits away from “sensitive veggies” like leafy greens, carrots and cucumbers, Nicole Avena, nutrition researcher and author of Sugarless: A 7-Step Plan to Uncover Hidden Sugars, Curb Your Craving, and Conquer Your Addiction, tells Yahoo Life. Otherwise, those will ripen quickly, too.

Know your storage conditions in advance

You probably have a solid idea of where you plan to store your produce before you even head to the store or famer’s market, and it’s important to be mindful of things like air flow and storage containers you plan to use, Michael Robinov, co-founder and CEO of Farm to People, tells Yahoo Life.

Air flow matters, according to Avena. “Produce stored in breathable bags or with airflow, like mesh or paper, tends to last longer,” she says. If your fruits and vegetables come in a bag, consider opening it up and letting them breathe, especially if you have foods high in ethylene gas, like apples or bananas.

Most produce does well under dry conditions, too. So, while those fridgescapes all over TikTok look nice, artfully arranging your asparagus stalks in a jar of water isn’t a good idea if longevity is your goal. “Excess moisture often leads to mold or rot,” Avena says.

Tailor the storage to your produce

“The right storage will make a big difference in how long your produce lasts,” Robinov says. But what works for one type of produce might not be ideal for another — and not everything does well in the fridge.

With that in mind, here’s a breakdown of the best ways to store the most common fruits and vegetables that are likely to wind up in your kitchen.

Citrus fruits

“Citrus fruits can be stored at room temperature for about a week and can be refrigerated after that to extend their shelf life,” Dubost says. “Oranges and grapefruits are not ethylene-sensitive, so store them separately from ethylene-producers like limes or lemons.” Just know that you have some time with these. “I’ve had some oranges and grapefruit in my fridge for three to four weeks,” Robinov says. “They can last for a while — it always surprises me.”

Apples

You can put these in the fridge in a plastic bag or an airtight container, Dubost says. (This helps keep their gasses from ripening other fruits and vegetables.) While you can technically put them on the counter, they won’t last at room temperature as long as they will in the fridge, Robinov says

Peaches and pears

These ethylene-producing fruits involve a two-pronged storage plan. “Purchase underripe pears and peaches and store at room temperature,” Dubost says. “Once ripe, store in the refrigerator but away from ethylene-sensitive produce.”

Berries

These fruits are admittedly delicate, but you can still get a little more life out of them. “Don’t wash them until you’re ready to eat them,” Robinov says. (It’s a moisture and rot issue.) “It’s really important not to keep them in a closed container,” he continues. Otherwise, the moisture that’s naturally present in the berries will seep out and cause the berries to degrade quickly.

Berries should be stored in the fridge, Robinov says. “It’s a great idea to have a paper towel below them to absorb moisture when they’re in the fridge,” he says. “You also want to make sure they’re good to breathe. But they’re very happy in a cold environment.” A bowl, produce bin or clamshell with venting should do the trick so long as a paper towel is lining the bottom.

Bananas

These do well at room temperature, away from other fruits, Avena says. “To slow down the ripening process, wrap the stems in plastic wrap,” she says. (Sometimes you’ll see this with bananas at the grocery store too.) Robinov also recommends storing your bananas out of the sun.

Lettuce and other leafy greens

These should go in the fridge. But if your leafy greens come in a bag or an air-tight container, their natural moisture content will cause them to degrade quickly, Robinov says.

He recommends taking them out while also making sure that any clamshell packaging has breathing room. But Robinov also says you don’t want your leaves completely exposed to your fridge, or they could dry out. “It’s a delicate balance,” he says. “Store them in a container lined with paper towels to absorb moisture,” Avena says. Like berries, you don’t want to wash these until you’re ready to eat them, she says.

Potatoes, onions and garlic

While these vegetables do well in a cool, dark space, they actually are better left out of the fridge, Young says. “The cold temperature can change their flavor or texture and may cause sprouting,” she explains. Instead, look for a cool spot in your pantry or cabinet.

Tomatoes

Robinov recommends storing these on your counter and eating them as quickly as possible. “They won’t last that long on the countertop, but they’ll taste much better,” he says. But Robinov points out that when they’re stored in the fridge, they soon get mealy and bland. So, plan to eat your tomatoes soon after you purchase them.

Squash

Squash can usually be stored in a cool, dark place, similar to potatoes, onions and garlic, Robinov says. “If you can’t find a cool, dark storage space in your kitchen, they’ll be better in a root drawer in the fridge,” he says. However, zucchini (and cucumbers) should be stored in the fridge.

Cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower

Dubost recommends refrigerating uncut heads of these veggies without a bag or container. “But cut heads should be in an airtight container or bag,” she says. “All these vegetables are ethylene-sensitive, so keep them away from ethylene-producing produce like onions and apples.” Broccoli and cauliflower can last up to two weeks in the refrigerator, while cabbage can last up to three weeks, Dubost adds.

Avocados

Firmness matters. “If you plan to eat your avocados the next day or two, choose softened avocados,” Dubost says. “If you plan to eat it in a few days, choose a firm one and store in a paper bag at room temperature. Once ripe, store in the refrigerator.”

You still have options if your produce is past its prime

If your spinach has wilted into a goo on the bottom of the container, it’s time to toss it. But if your berries are getting overly ripe or your bananas are starting to brown, Robinov suggests freezing them.

“Before they turn, but when they’re starting to get to the point of being on their last legs, freeze them,” he says. “People tend to forget that they can use frozen produce in smoothies and baked goods. It’s really underused.”

For things like tomatoes or carrots, he suggests making them into a sauce or using them in a soup. Citrus fruits can be juiced too, Robinov says. You don’t always need to throw out produce when it’s past its prime.

“It’s a frustrating feeling to throw out food that could have been enjoyed,” Robinov says. “It’s always important to think about how you can extend the life of your produce — and the right storage is a big part of that.”