How to Keep Vegetables Fresh for Longer
Which vegetables belong in the fridge, which do not, and how to store greens, beans and roots so they last.
4 min read
Not everything belongs in the fridge
The refrigerator slows spoilage for many vegetables, but some keep better at room temperature in a cool, airy and shaded place. Putting them in the wrong spot is a common reason vegetables go soft or tasteless.
- Room temperature: onions, garlic, potatoes, pumpkin, whole coconuts and unripe bananas.
- Fridge: leafy greens, beans, carrots, leeks, cabbage, capsicum and ripe tomatoes.
- Keep onions and potatoes apart — together they spoil faster.
Leafy greens
Gotukola, mukunuwenna, kankun and other greens wilt quickly. Remove rubber bands, pick out any yellow or damaged leaves, and wrap the bunch loosely in a dry cloth or paper towel before putting it in a container or bag in the fridge. Wash greens just before cooking, not before storing — extra water makes them rot faster.
Beans, carrots and other vegetables
Store beans, carrots and leeks unwashed in the vegetable drawer. Cut the green tops off carrots so they do not draw moisture from the root. Once a pumpkin is cut, wrap the open side and refrigerate it, and use it within a few days.
Buy for the next few days, not the whole week
Fresh produce is best bought in smaller amounts every few days. Plan which vegetables you will cook first — the delicate greens — and leave sturdier ones like pumpkin, cabbage and carrots for later in the week.