Which fruit and vegetables go in the fridge – and which don’t?
In the fridge (crisper drawer): for example carrots, apples and strawberries. Not in the fridge: tomatoes, bananas, unripe avocados, onions and garlic. Apples, tomatoes, bananas and avocados give off the ripening gas ethylene, so store them apart. Mould on soft fruit: pick it out and throw it away.
Fruit and vegetables: where to store, roughly how long
| Food | Where to store | Roughly how long |
|---|---|---|
| Onions | dark, cool, dry, not in the fridge | whole: several weeks; cut, in the fridge about 4–5 days |
| Garlic | dark, cool, dry, airy | whole bulb: often a few weeks |
| Apples | crisper drawer, apart from other fruit | chilled often several weeks; at room temperature about 10 days |
| Bananas | room temperature, ideally hung up | often about 1 week, depending on ripeness |
| Tomatoes | room temperature, ideally 12–16 °C (54–61 °F) | about 4–7 days |
| Carrots | crisper drawer, tops off, out of plastic | about 7–10 days |
| Strawberries | fridge, unwashed | about 1–2 days |
| Avocado | unripe: room temperature; ripe: fridge | ripens in 2–5 days; ripe and chilled 1–2 days |
What belongs in the fridge
- Carrots: cut off the green tops, take them out of the plastic and put them in the crisper drawer. They stay crunchy for about 7–10 days.
- Apples: for longer than a week, keep them in the crisper drawer, ideally in their own box or a bag with small holes.
- Strawberries and other berries: refrigerate unwashed and eat within 1–2 days. Wash them just before eating.
- Ripe avocados and cut fruit and veg: cover them, refrigerate and use them up soon.
What doesn’t belong in the fridge
- Tomatoes: cold kills their flavour. Keep them in a shady spot, ideally at 12–16 °C (54–61 °F).
- Bananas: they’re sensitive to cold and their skins quickly turn brown in the fridge. Hang them up at room temperature.
- Onions and garlic: the fridge is too damp, so they go mouldy or sprout. Keep them dark, cool and dry, for example in a cellar or cupboard.
- Unripe avocados: they only ripen at room temperature. Move them to the fridge once they’re ripe.
- Potatoes: dark, dry and cool at about 7–10 °C (45–50 °F), away from onions and apples.
Ethylene: keep these fruits apart
Some fruits release the ripening gas ethylene. It makes them, and anything nearby, ripen and spoil faster. Strong ethylene producers include apples, tomatoes, bananas, avocados, pears and apricots.
Sensitive foods include strawberries, grapes, kiwis and potatoes (they sprout sooner). So don’t pile apples and tomatoes into a mixed fruit bowl: store them separately. Want a hard avocado or kiwi to ripen faster? Put it in a paper bag with an apple on purpose.
How to use the crisper drawer
- Your fridge should be at no more than about 5 °C (41 °F). The crisper drawer at the bottom is a little warmer and more humid, which suits fruit and veg.
- Don’t overfill it: air needs to circulate.
- Don’t keep loose produce in sealed plastic bags. Moisture builds up and mould follows.
- Wipe it out regularly. Plant leftovers are a breeding ground for germs.
When to throw fruit and vegetables away
- Mould on soft fruit such as strawberries, tomatoes or peaches: throw away the whole fruit, don’t cut around it. With berries, check the ones next to it closely.
- Mushy, slimy or smelling rotten: bin it.
- Cut fruit and veg that sat unrefrigerated for a long time: don’t eat it.
- If in doubt, throw it out.
Frequently asked questions
Should tomatoes go in the fridge?
Better not. Tomatoes lose their flavour in the fridge. Keep them at room temperature, ideally 12–16 °C (54–61 °F), and they last about 4–7 days. If they were chilled, leave them out for a few hours before eating.
Why shouldn’t onions go in the fridge?
It’s too damp in there, so whole onions go mouldy or sprout. Keep them dark, cool and dry. A cut onion, on the other hand, belongs in the fridge in a closed container: use it within about 4–5 days.
Can apples and bananas be stored together?
Better not. Both give off ethylene, and bananas are especially sensitive to it. They then turn brown and soft faster.
What’s the best way to store strawberries?
Unwashed in the fridge, loosely spread out, and eat them within 1–2 days. Remove any mouldy berries straight away and check the ones next to them.
Should avocados go in the fridge?
Only once they’re ripe. Unripe avocados ripen at room temperature in about 2–5 days. Once ripe, they keep about 1–2 days in the fridge; a cut half with the stone in also about 1–2 days.
All figures are guidelines for food that is stored correctly and kept chilled. No guarantee: when in doubt, throw it out. Take extra care during pregnancy and with young children, older or vulnerable people.