How to Keep Your Fruit and Veggies Fresh AF
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Your guide to rotting low and wilting high. How do your crisper drawers in your refrigerator actually work – well, here is the simple explanation (yes, simple)!
What do you have your crisper drawers set to? If you have no clue, you are not the only one… The common question I have found myself googling after every trip from the grocery store… I love having fresh produce in the fridge, yet they wilt away on us far too soon (UGH!). No one likes wasting food and especially a $2 Avocado.
Today trips to the grocery store a few times a week are not like they used to be. Since gaining an interest in cooking, I have worked on using the crisper drawers for their intended purpose. But… I will admit I got lazy about it up until recently. Between the wide variety of fruits and veggies, it is tough to remember what goes in high-humidity and low-humidity off the top of your head. Feel free to download the list below and stick it on your fridge – your guide to rotting low and wilting high! P.S. You’d be amazed how many people ask about what it means when they see it on your refrigerator.
Have a fruit or vegetable that you don’t see on either list? Comment below!
How Do They Work
LOW-HUMIDITY
Not sensitive to moisture loss, high-ethylene gas producers.
Fruit and veggies that emit ethylene gas (apples and pears). That window in the drawer allows those gases to release, so the fruit and veggies don’t rot prematurely.
HIGH-HUMIDITY
Sensitive to moisture loss and ethylene gas.
Leafy greats that wilt (arugula, spinach, and herbs). Having the window closed keeps the water vapor held inside the drawer, and that moisture helps the greens stay crisper and fresher longer! TIP: fruit and veggies sensitive to ethylene gas (strawberries), keep them away from ethylene producers in your low-humidity drawer.
Common Fruits and Vegetables that Should be Kept in Each Crisper Drawer
ROT LOW (low-humidity)
- Avocados
- Apples
- Apricots
- Bananas (ripe)
- Blueberries
- Cantaloupe
- Figs
- Grapes
- Green Onion
- Honeydew
- Kiwi
- Mango
- Nectarines
- Papaya
- Peaches
- Pears
- Plantains
- Plums
- Stone fruits (apricot, nectarines, peaches, plums)
- Tomatoes
WILT HIGH (high-humidity)
- Asparagus
- Bananas (unripe)
- Blackberries
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Cucumbers
- Eggplant
- Green beans
- Herbs (cilantro, dill, parsley, thyme)
- Leafy Greens (kale, lettuces, spinach, Swiss chard, watercress)
- Onions
- Peas
- Peppers
- Raspberries
- Summer squash
- Strawberries
- Watermelon
STORING OPTIONS
COLE & MASON Fresh Herb Keeper, Container
Hutzler Onion Saver
Rubbermaid FreshWorks Produce Storage Containers
Joie Fresh Pod Avocado Keeper
Bluapple Produce Freshness Saver Balls
Stasher 100% Silicone Reusable Food Bag
OXO Good Grips GreenSaver Produce Keeper
Disclaimer: I’m no specialist in the science of fruit and veggies, I just wanted to provide a quick go-to list.
