Properly Storing Food to Avoid Food Waste

written by : Molly Bolan

We have covered the importance of food waste and some tips for when you hit the grocery store. But once you’ve purchased your food, it’s critical to properly store everything to ensure it doesn’t go bad before you’re ready to use it. For this article, we’ll focus on the refrigerator. (Don’t worry — we’ll have a separate post dedicated to all the wonders a freezer can manage!)

Fridge Cartography

It can be tempting to just throw groceries into the fridge wherever they fit or can be conveniently accessed, but different parts of the refrigerator actually have different qualities. 

Pro Tip: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends keeping your refrigerator at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Not sure what the temperature is in your fridge? Check out these tips.  

You’re probably familiar with the crisper drawer, sometimes known as the humidity drawer, which is typically found at the bottom of the refrigerator. Most are outfitted with a lever that allows you to adjust the humidity in the drawer. High humidity is best for produce prone to wilting, like leafy greens and fresh herbs; low humidity is best for produce that rots, like grapes and avocados.

The other shelves of the refrigerator also shouldn’t be used indiscriminately. Cool air sinks, making the refrigerator’s lowest shelves the best place for dairy, eggs and meat. The upper shelves are better for foods that aren’t particularly prone to spoiling, like leftovers or sweet treats. That said, the top shelf is often where cooling vents are located, and any food placed too close to those are likely to get extra frosty. A faulty fridge damper, which controls how much cold air moves from the freezer to the fridge, could also cause some products to unexpectedly freeze.

The door is the warmest part of the fridge, making it the best place to store condiments. Avoid putting anything that could spoil here, including milk.

Pro Tip: If you’re curious how long food will last in the fridge, the FoodKeeper App from FoodSafety.gov is a useful starting point offering additional storage tips and timelines for maximum freshness and quality. But remember you can also trust your nose, mouth and gut — practice the trilogy of “look, smell, taste.”

How do I store…

So you know where to store products in the refrigerator — it’s now a matter of how. 

Keep in mind that not all produce goes straight to the fridge. You should leave fruits like avocados, watermelons, and citrus fruits out on the counter until they’re ripe, then put them in the refrigerator to keep them fresh longer. Some items never need to see the inside of your refrigerator: garlic, squash, potatoes, and onions can stay in a cool, dark place like the pantry or cupboards. Note that onions’ ethylene can cause potatoes to rot and sprout, so it’s best to keep them separate. 

Pro tip: Here’s a helpful graphic from StopFoodWaste.org with more details about which parts of your kitchen are best for storing certain products. 

Celery

If your celery came wrapped in plastic, ditch that first; the plastic traps ethylene, which can make produce ripen and spoil more quickly. Instead, wrap the stalks in aluminum foil, which locks in moisture — preventing the celery from going limp — without trapping ethylene. 

Berries

It can be tempting to wash berries as soon as you’re home from the grocery store and pack them into the fridge. Meal prep enthusiasts will often tout this method as a way to make it easier to reach for a healthy snack throughout the week. But the excess moisture from that initial washing can lead to mold, so it’s better to wash berries right before you’re about to eat them. 

Spinach

Moisture is spinach’s greatest nemesis and the culprit behind slimy, wilted leaves. If your spinach looks wet when you buy it, make sure to give it a good pat down with a dry paper towel or clean dish towel. Then transfer it to an airtight container lined with a clean dry towel to keep it fresh all week. 

Tomatoes

For some households, it can feel wrong to not put tomatoes in the fridge, but tomatoes actually fare better at room temperature with the vine on until they’re ripe. Sticking them in the fridge will change tomatoes’ taste and texture, so it’s best to only stick them in there if they’re about to go bad. In that case, place them on the top shelf where it’s warmest. 

Pro Tip: SaveTheFood.com has a great interactive resource that tells you how to store all sorts of specific products, ranging from tofu to tree nuts. 

Here’s a graphic from the National Resource Defense Council’s Save The Food Campaign. You can print this (or make your own!) to let everyone in your household know what needs to be eaten first.  (photo credit: NRDC)

Organize!

Create an “Eat This First” spot in your fridge for anything that’s approaching its end of edibility faster than other products. That might include leftovers, open containers of yogurt or hummus, or overripe fruits. If possible, choose a spot in the fridge close to eye level so it’s hard to miss when you’re trying to decide what to eat. 

Speaking of leftovers, it’s helpful to label containers with what’s inside and the date it was placed in the refrigerator. This will make it easier to track what needs to be eaten next – not to mention it’ll prevent the stomach-churning process of trying to guess what that back-of-the-fridge Tupperware once held.

Pro tip: Keep a marker and tape near the fridge to label containers.

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EcoAction Arlington’s Food Waste Reduction Campaign 2024 is curated by the Advocacy committee and the R4 Action Group.This content also appeared in EcoAction Arlington’s monthly newsletter and The EcoAdvocate newsletter produced by the EcoAction Arlington Advocacy Committee.