The right storage can help keep fruits and vegetables fresh longer. Freezing food can also save you money if you store it correctly.
Is This Still Good?
Download the FoodKeeper app for storage tips on more than 400 food and drink items. The app is available for Android and Apple devices.
Storing Vegetables and Fruits
Most fresh vegetables should be stored in the refrigerator.
- Use asparagus, beans, brussels sprouts, greens, peas, and other fresh vegetables as soon as possible.
- Never store uncut potatoes, onions (excluding green onions), or winter squash in the refrigerator. The starch will convert to sugar.
- Most fruits should be used within a few days.
- Wash lettuce, then dry and wrap in a paper towel before putting in a plastic bag.
- Restore wilted greens by soaking them in ice water for 15-30 minutes.
- Store an apple with potatoes to keep them from sprouting.
- Wash fresh berries in a vinegar bath to keep them fresh longer. Mix one part vinegar with three parts water to wash. Make sure the berries are dry before storing in the fridge.
- Store tomatoes outside the fridge, stem side down.
- Poke a hole in the side of a lemon and only squeeze out what you need. It will stay fresh longer than cutting it.
In the Package or Out?
- Store refrigerated vegetables unwashed in their original package or in a plastic bag.
- Fruits and vegetables stored at room temperature, like bananas, apples, or tomatoes, should be taken out of their package and left loose.
Mom tip
“I wrap my banana stems in plastic wrap to keep them fresher longer.” –Danielle
Vegetables
| If you are storing this food item in the refrigerator... | Store no longer than... |
|---|---|
| Beans, green or wax | 3 - 7 days |
| Beets | 3-5 days |
| Broccoli | 3-5 days |
| Brussels sprouts | 3-5 weeks |
| Cabbage | 1-2 weeks |
| Carrots | 4-6 weeks |
| Cauliflower | 1 week |
| Celery | 2 weeks |
| Corn on the cob | 2-3 weeks |
| Cucumbers | 1 week |
| Eggplant | 1 week |
| Greens | 7-14 days |
| Lettuce or salad greens | 3-5 days |
| Okra | 3-7 days |
| Parsley | 1-2 months |
| Parsnips | 2-6 months |
| Peas or lima beans, unshelled | 3-5 days |
| Peppers | 4-7 days |
| Radishes | 3-4 weeks |
| Spinach | 10-14 days |
| Squash, summer | 4-5 days |
| Tomatoes, ripe | 4-7 days |
Fruits/Juices
| If you are storing this food item in the refrigerator... | Store no longer than... |
|---|---|
| Apples | 1-3 weeks |
| Berries | 1-7 days |
| Citrus fruits | 3 weeks |
| Grapes | 1 week |
| Juice, all types, opened | 7-10 days |
| Juices, all types, unopened | 3 weeks |
| Melons | 3-7 days |
| Oranges | 3-4 days |
| Peaches, apricots, nectarines | 3-5 days |
| Pears, plums | 3-4 days |
| Pineapple, ripe | 2-4 weeks |
| Pumpkins | 2-3 months |
| Rhubarb | 2-4 weeks |
Storing Foods in the Freezer
Store the following foods at 0 °F. Meat should be stored in its original package. If you have bulk meat, wrap the meat very tightly in either plastic wrap or freezer paper. Press the wrapping right up against the surface of the meat. Next, wrap another layer of aluminum foil around it or seal it inside a zip-top freezer bag.
Dairy Products
| If you are storing this food item in the freezer... | Store no longer than... |
|---|---|
| Butter | 12 months |
| Cheese, hard | 6-8 months |
| Margarine | 12 months |
| Milk, fluid | 3 months |
| Whipped topping, unopened plastic tub | 14 months |
Fruits/Juices/Vegetables
| If you are storing this food item in the freezer... | Store no longer than... |
|---|---|
| Fruit: berries, melons, apple slices | 8-12 months |
| Juice concentrates | 12 months |
| Vegetables, blanched or cooked | 8-12 months |
Grain Products/Baked Goods
| If you are storing this food item in the freezer... | Store no longer than... |
|---|---|
| Bread | 2-3 months |
| Bread dough | 1 month or use-by date |
| Cake, angel food | 6-12 months |
| Cake, frosted | 1 month |
| Cake, unfrosted | 2-4 months |
| Cookie dough | 3 months |
| Cookies | 6-12 months |
| Muffins | 6-12 months |
| Pancakes, waffles | 1 month |
| Pie, fruit | 6-8 months |
| Pie, pumpkin or chiffon | 1-2 months |
| Pie crust, ready-to-bake | 12 months |
Meat/Meat Alternatives
| If you are storing this food item in the freezer... | Store no longer than... |
|---|---|
| Casseroles, meat, poultry, egg | 12 months |
| Chicken or turkey, cooked | 6-8 months |
| Chicken nuggets | 12 months |
| Chicken or turkey, parts, raw | 3 months |
| Chicken or turkey, whole, raw | 14 months |
| Eggs, whites, yolks, substitutes, raw | 12 months |
| Fish, cooked | 3 months |
| Fish, raw | 3-8 months |
| Gravy or meat broth | 2-3 months |
| Meat, chops, steaks, roasts, raw | 4-12 months |
| Meat, cooked | 2-3 months |
| Meat or poultry, ground, raw | 3-4 |
| Meat, ham, frankfurters, bologna | 1-2 months |
| Meat, luncheon | 1-2 months |
| Meat, cooked | 1-2 months |
| Sausage, raw or cooked | 1-2 months |
| Soups or stews | 2-3 months |
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