You know the feeling.

You come home from the grocery store with a cart full of beautiful produce and very good intentions.

Look at me! Buying all these vegetables!

And then somehow it’s Thursday, the cilantro has gone limp, there’s a suspicious cucumber hiding in the back of the fridge, and the berries have entered a new phase of life.

The problem isn’t always what we’re buying.

Sometimes, it’s what happens after we bring it home.

A few small changes in how you store your groceries can give you more time to actually eat them—which means more plants on your plate, less money in the compost bin, and fewer tragic bunches of cilantro.

So bookmark this page for grocery day. Here’s how to store the foods we get asked about most.

THE BIG IDEA: You don’t need a perfectly organized refrigerator. You just need to know which foods like it cold, which don’t, which need a little moisture, and which should be rescued by the freezer before it’s too late.

First: a few food-storage rules worth knowing

1. Your refrigerator should be 40°F or colder

Perishable produce—including berries, leafy greens, mushrooms, and many fresh herbs—belongs in a clean refrigerator at 40°F (4°C) or below. Anything purchased pre-cut or packaged as fresh-cut produce should also be refrigerated.

If you’ve never checked your fridge temperature, an inexpensive refrigerator thermometer can tell you whether it’s actually as cold as you think it is.

2. Don’t automatically wash everything the minute you get home

This is one of those areas where blanket internet advice gets messy.

For food safety, the FDA recommends thoroughly rinsing produce under running water before preparing or eating it, then drying it with a clean towel or paper towel. Skip soap, detergent, bleach, and commercial produce washes.

Whether you should wash before storage depends on the food and your routine. If you do pre-wash something to make it easier to eat, dry it well and use an appropriate storage method. Excess moisture can encourage deterioration in many foods.

And if a package says pre-washed or ready-to-eat, you don’t need to wash it again.

3. Not everything belongs in the refrigerator

Some produce needs to ripen at room temperature first. Other foods—potatoes, onions, garlic, and winter squash, for example—are generally better suited to room-temperature storage, with potatoes especially benefiting from a cool, dark location.

And then there are tomatoes, which deserve their own discussion. More on those shortly.

4. Some fruits are terrible roommates

Ripening fruits can produce ethylene, a natural plant hormone that speeds ripening. That can be useful when you’re trying to ripen something—and less useful when nearby produce starts aging faster than you wanted.

UC Davis recommends separating fruits and vegetables in refrigerator drawers when possible to reduce unwanted ethylene exposure.

Translation: where you put your groceries can matter.

5. Your freezer is a pause button

Don’t wait until produce is officially beyond saving.

Freezing is one of the easiest ways to keep food from going to waste, although texture may change and some vegetables benefit from blanching first. Freezer storage recommendations are generally about maintaining quality, because properly frozen foods remain safe much longer.

Spotty bananas? Freeze them.

Too much ginger? Freeze it.

Berries you know you’re not going to finish? Freezer.

Future You says thanks.

How to Store Fresh Herbs

Fresh herbs are where food-storage advice gets especially interesting because there isn’t one method that’s best for all of them.

Some herbs like to be treated like flowers. Some prefer the refrigerator. And basil is particularly sensitive to cold.

Instead of memorizing every herb individually, it helps to group them by how they like to be stored.

In Water on the Counter: Basil and Mint

Best for: Basil and mint

Trim the stem ends and place the herbs upright together or separately in a jar with a small amount of clean water, much like a bouquet of flowers.

Basil is particularly sensitive to cold, making room-temperature storage a good option. Keep it out of harsh direct sunlight and change the water regularly.

Mint can also do beautifully this way for short-term storage.

You may even notice basil or mint stems beginning to grow new little roots in the water. Once that happens, you can keep enjoying your herb bouquet or try planting the rooted stems.

In Water in the Refrigerator: Cilantro and Parsley

Best for: Cilantro and parsley

Trim the stem ends and place the herbs upright in a jar with a small amount of water.

Loosely cover the leaves with a bag to help maintain humidity, then refrigerate. Change the water every few days and remove any yellowing or damaged leaves.

This gives delicate herbs access to moisture through their stems without leaving the leaves sitting wet.

In Water: Green Onions

Best place: Counter for short-term use; refrigerator for longer storage

Place green onions root-side down in a jar with enough water to cover the roots.

They can live on the counter for short-term use and may continue growing new green tops. For longer storage, move them to the refrigerator.

Change the water regularly.

If your green onions still have healthy roots attached, you can also try planting them.

Wrapped in a Damp Towel: Rosemary, Thyme, and Dill

Best place: Refrigerator

Wrap rosemary, thyme, and dill loosely in a slightly damp clean kitchen towel or paper towel, then place them inside a storage bag or covered container in the refrigerator.

The towel helps maintain humidity without leaving the herbs sitting in water.

Check them periodically and replace the towel if it becomes excessively wet.

The Fresh Herb Storage Shortcut

And if you know you aren’t going to use your herbs in time, preserve them while they’re still good. Make pesto, blend them into sauces, or freeze them for future cooking.

How to Store Fresh Fruit

Bananas

Best place: Hang on counter while ripening; peel and freeze once ripe and spotty

Hang your bananas on a hook or stand to improve airflow and prevent flat, bruised spots from forming.

Bananas get sweeter as they ripen because natural enzymes break down complex starches into simple sugars.

• Yellow bananas are great for snacking.
• Spotty bananas are perfect to throw in smoothies, and this is also the ideal time to freeze for healthy milkshakes and banana nice cream.
• Brown bananas are perfect for banana muffins.

Pro Tip: Freeze bananas in pieces rather than whole so you don’t later find yourself trying to attack a frozen banana brick with a knife.

Berries

Best place: Refrigerator

Berries are among the foods to prioritize after grocery day.

When you bring them home, check the container and remove any berries that are moldy or badly damaged so they don’t accelerate spoilage of the rest.

Keep berries refrigerated and wash them under running water before eating. If you prefer to wash them ahead of time, make sure they’re thoroughly dry before returning them to the refrigerator.

And if you realize you bought more than you’ll finish, freeze them while they’re still fresh.

Citrus

Best place: Counter for very short-term storage; refrigerator for longer storage

Oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit, and other citrus fruits can be stored at room temperature for a few days — if you plan to use them soon.

For longer storage, move them to the refrigerator, where they can last for up to several weeks.

If you regularly find dried-out lemons rolling around your fruit bowl, this may be one of the easiest storage changes to make.

Peaches, Plums, Nectarines, Pears, and Other Ripening Fruit

Best place: Counter until ripe; refrigerator once ripe

Allow stone fruits and pears to ripen at room temperature. Once they reach the ripeness you like, move them to the refrigerator to slow things down if you aren’t going to eat them immediately.

This is a useful rule for quite a few fruits:

Counter = ripen. Refrigerator = slow down.

Avocados

Best place: Counter until ripe; refrigerator the moment they get ripe

Let firm avocados ripen at room temperature. Check daily by gently pressing on them. Once you feel that you can easily push into the avocado, it’s ripe. Immediately move them to the refrigerator — which essentially pauses ripening — which can extend their life up to a week.

If you’ve ever experienced the avocado lifecycle of:

not ready…not ready…not ready…PERFECT…too late

the refrigerator is your friend.

If you’d like your avocados to ripen faster, place them in a paper bag or next to onions or bananas (which release ethylene gas, a natural plant hormone that speeds up ripening).

Pineapple

Best place: Counter before cutting; refrigerator once ripe or cut

A whole pineapple can be kept at room temperature for short-term storage. Once it’s ripe—or once you cut into it—move it to the refrigerator.

How to Store Fresh Vegetables

Tomatoes

Best place: Counter; do not refrigerate unless needed

Tomatoes are often given a hard-and-fast “never refrigerate” rule.

Why? It’s because refrigerating whole fresh tomatoes changes their texture to a mealy or grainy feel because cold temperatures damage the cell membranes and break down the pectin inside the fruit.

For the best flavor, allow tomatoes to ripen and keep them at room temperature. The only time it makes sense to put tomatoes in the fridge is if you aren’t going to eat them before they start to decline and need to buy extra time. In other words: the refrigerator is better than the compost bin.

Carrots

Best place: Refrigerator

If your carrots come with leafy tops, remove the greens before storing. Leaving the greens attached can draw moisture from the roots and cause the carrots to deteriorate more quickly.

Keep carrots refrigerated in the crisper drawer or an appropriate covered container.

Cut carrots can also be stored submerged in cold water in a covered container in the refrigerator. Change the water regularly.

And those carrot tops don’t necessarily need to become compost. If they’re fresh and in good condition, juice them or try turning them into carrot top pesto.

Leafy Greens

Best place: Refrigerator with a moisture absorbing paper towel

Spinach, kale, lettuce, and other leafy greens need refrigeration and a little moisture management. The goal is to keep them from drying out without leaving them sitting wet. A clean cloth or paper towel can help absorb excess moisture inside a storage container or bag.

If your greens start looking too tired for a salad, don’t give up on them. Add them to pasta, soup, curry, stir-fries, or smoothies.

Mushrooms

Best place: Refrigerator in a paper bag

Mushrooms need refrigeration but don’t do particularly well when excess moisture gets trapped around them.

Keep them in their original breathable packaging or a paper bag rather than tightly sealing them in plastic.

Wait to clean mushrooms until you’re ready to use them. If they need cleaning, a gentle wipe or quick rinse followed by thorough drying works well; avoid leaving them soaking in water.

Bell Peppers

Best place: Refrigerator crisper

Store whole bell peppers dry in the refrigerator crisper drawer.

Once cut, transfer them to a covered container and plan to use them sooner.

Cucumbers

Best place: Refrigerator

Keep cucumbers refrigerated and relatively dry. Once you’ve cut into one, wrap or cover the exposed portion and return it to the refrigerator.

Broccoli

Best place: Refrigerator

Broccoli should be refrigerated and is worth prioritizing relatively early after grocery day. If you realize you aren’t going to get to it in time, blanching and freezing broccoli can extend its useful life considerably.

Asparagus

Best place: Refrigerator

Asparagus benefits from cold storage and protection from drying out. One popular method is to treat it a little like a bouquet of flowers: trim a small amount from the woody ends, stand the stalks upright in a jar with a small amount of water, loosely cover the tops with a plastic bag, and refrigerate. You can also wrap the trimmed ends in a damp towel before refrigerating.

Radishes

Best place: Refrigerator

Remove leafy radish tops before storage and keep the radishes refrigerated.

The greens draw moisture from the roots, so separating them can help the radishes stay crisp longer.

For extra crispness, radishes can also be stored in a covered container of cold water in the refrigerator, changing the water periodically.

The greens are edible, too. If they’re fresh and in good condition, try adding them to pesto or another green sauce.

Green Beans

Best place: Refrigerator

Store fresh green beans in the refrigerator, ideally in the crisper drawer or another setup that helps protect them from drying out.

Keep them unwashed until you’re ready to use them, or make sure they’re thoroughly dry before storage.

Potatoes

Best place: Cool, dark, well-ventilated place (away from onions and garlic)

Potatoes don’t need prime refrigerator real estate. Store them somewhere cool, dark, and well ventilated, away from direct sunlight and heat.

Avoid tightly sealed containers that trap moisture, and keep potatoes separate from onions when possible.

Onions and Garlic

Best place: Cool, dry, well-ventilated place (away from fruit and potatoes)

Whole onions and garlic are happiest outside the refrigerator in a dry location with good airflow.

Once cut, however, transfer them to a covered container and refrigerate.

Ginger

Best place: Refrigerator or freezer

Fresh ginger can be kept refrigerated, but one of our favorite storage tricks is even simpler:

Freeze it.

Store ginger well sealed in the freezer and grate what you need straight from frozen for curries, stir-fries, soups, and sauces. It’s especially useful if you regularly use an inch of ginger and then rediscover the remaining root several weeks later.

Foods You Might Be Storing Wrong

Produce isn’t the only food that can benefit from a better home.

A few everyday plant-based staples are surprisingly easy to store incorrectly.

Nuts

Best place: Refrigerator or freezer for longer storage

This one surprised us, too.

Nuts contain natural oils that can oxidize and eventually turn rancid. If you’re going to use them relatively quickly, pantry storage can be fine. But if you buy nuts in bulk or keep them around for months, cold storage can help preserve their quality.

Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer.

A good seal also helps prevent nuts from absorbing odors from surrounding foods.

Especially if you buy nuts in bulk, cold storage is your friend.

Bread

Best place: Counter for short-term use; freezer for longer storage

Here’s another counterintuitive one:

The refrigerator can make bread go stale faster.

Keep bread appropriately wrapped at room temperature if you’ll eat it within a few days.

Otherwise, slice it and freeze it so you can take out exactly what you need.

Toast it straight from frozen and congratulate Past You.

Tofu

Best place: Refrigerator after opening

Once you’ve opened a package of water-packed tofu, transfer unused tofu to a clean covered container, submerge it in fresh cold water, and refrigerate it.

Change the water regularly and use the tofu within several days.

You can also freeze tofu.

Freezing changes its texture, making it chewier and more porous—perfect for soaking up marinades and sauces.

Dry Pasta, Rice, and Grains

Best place: Cool, dry pantry

Store dry pasta, rice, and other shelf-stable grains in a cool, dry place, preferably well sealed once opened.

Whole grains and brown rice contain more natural oils than their refined counterparts and may benefit from refrigeration or freezing if you’re storing them for an extended period.

Rescue It Before You Lose It

Even perfect storage can’t make fresh food last forever.

Sometimes the best strategy is knowing when to stop storing and start cooking.

• Spotty bananas? Freeze them for smoothies or make banana bread.
• Wilting greens? Add them to pasta, soup, curry, stir-fries, or smoothies.
• Too many herbs? Turn them into pesto, sauces, dressings, or herb-packed meals.
• Very ripe fruit? Make a smoothie, crisp, compote, sorbet, or baked treat.
• Vegetables getting tired? Roast them, blend them into soup, toss them into a stir-fry, or add them to a curry.
• Bread heading toward stale? Make toast, croutons, or breadcrumbs—or freeze it before it gets there.

The recipe can change.

The food doesn’t have to become waste.

Your New Grocery-Day Habit

When you bring home groceries, don’t just ask: Where does this go?

Ask: What needs to be eaten first?

Put those foods somewhere you’ll see them.

Then, later in the week, do a quick fridge check:

Eat it. Cook it. Freeze it.

You don’t need to become an expert in the ideal storage conditions for every fruit and vegetable.

Start with the foods you buy most. Learn where they keep best. Pay attention to what needs to be eaten first. And when you realize you won’t get to something in time, freeze, cook, or preserve it before it goes to waste.

Because ultimately, the goal isn’t a perfectly organized refrigerator.

It’s helping more of the beautiful food we bring home actually become food we eat.

More plants on our plates. Less money in the compost bin. Less food wasted.

And fewer tragic bunches of cilantro.