What fruits last longer in the fridge

Throwing away food is obviously a waste of money, but it's also worth considering the effect it has on the planet.

We waste up to 40% of the food we produce in the UK, and 70% of this waste is created by households, according to WRAP. But how does food waste contribute to climate change?

When food rots in the landfill, it emits methane, one of the most damaging greenhouse gases. Another issue is that when food is produced but not eaten, the carbon it produced to get to your plate was all for nothing!

The good news is there are practical steps you can take to prevent waste. Here are some ways to make your fruit and veg last longer.

1. Keep salad crisp

It's hard to beat a fresh, crispy salad for a healthy lunch!

You can make bagged salad last longer by transferring the leaves to a bowl or storage container, placing a couple of sheets of kitchen paper on top and tightly wrapping the whole thing with a wax wrap (or clingfilm) to exclude as much air as possible. This will help it to stay crisp and prevent the leaves from wilting in the fridge.

If you've bought a whole lettuce, remove the individual leaves and leave them to soak in a bowl of cold water for a couple of hours.

Apricots, Asian pears, avocado, bananas, guava, kiwis, mangoes, melons, nectarines, papayas, passion fruit, pawpaw, peaches, pears, persimmons, pineapples, plantain, plums, starfruit, soursop, and quince will continue to ripen if left out on the counter. When perfectly ripe, they can be refrigerated for a few days to extend their usefulness a little longer (yes, even bananas: while their skins may blacken the fruit will be unspoiled).

Garlic and onions (but not scallions!) still in their skins can stay on the counter, but once peeled or cut, keep them wrapped in the fridge. Store them apart from potatoes, as potatoes emit some ethylene that can cause the onions to sprout.

Potatoes, taro, sweet potatoes, and yuca (cassava, manioc) should not be refrigerated. Keep these starchy tubers in a cool, dark, airy space, loosely stacked in a bowl or bins, but not in plastic bags (or moisture will accumulate and will encourage mold and deterioration). Tomatoes (technically a fruit) should be left out on a counter, even when ripe (they will lose flavor when chilled). Winter squash (that is squash with hard shells such as butternut, delicata, and kabocha) can stay out on or under the counter.

So, what fruits and vegetables should be kept cold? First, some general guidelines for refrigerating produce: For organization and better food preservation in your fridge, use separate, reusable plastic bags, or better yet (for the planet), lidded plastic containers or lightweight stainless steel containers. Do not combine fruits and vegetables in a single container, as ethylene given off by some fruit (like apples, peaches, and pears) can spoil some vegetables (lettuce and crucifers are especially susceptible). Certain groups of produce can be stored together: root vegetables with their leaves removed— like beets, radishes, and turnips—can be combined in a single container. Different citrus fruits can be kept together. Salad leaves (from lettuces to Asian greens) can be mixed and sealed in the same container. Seal some produce tightly, give other types room to breathe: Most vegetables (dry, never wet) can be wrapped or sealed tightly in your container of choice for best storage. With the exception of soft berries, whole fruits are better off in an unsealed container.

Apples that you intend keeping long term (beyond a week and up to a few months) should be kept chilled. They do not have to be wrapped, but they do emit ethylene, so your other produce should be kept separate. Soft berries tend to spoil quickly and should be eaten within a couple of days of purchase. In the meantime, keep them cold, and do not wash them until you are ready to eat them. The list of berries includes blackberries, blueberries, cranberries, currants, grapes, strawberries, and raspberries.

Cherries should be chilled and can be kept refrigerated in an open bowl or container. While some sources suggest leaving citrus fruit at room temperature, in our experience ripe citrus lasts significantly longer if kept chilled. The fruits do not need to be wrapped or sealed and fare best when kept in an open container in a produce drawer. Figs, longans, lychees, mangosteens, and pomegranates all last longer if kept chilled. (Other tropicals can be left out until ripe and then refrigerated until you are ready to eat them.)

Most vegetables last longer when kept chilled. The list includes: artichokes, asparagus, beans (fresh, unshelled), beets, Belgian endive, broccoli, broccolini, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chiles, corn, cucumber, eggplant, fennel, herbs, horseradish, jicama, Jerusalem artichoke, kohlrabi, leafy greens, leeks, mushrooms, nopales (cactus paddles), okra, peas, peppers, purslane, radicchio, radishes, rhubarb, roselle, salad leaves, salsify, scallions, spinach, sprouts, summer squash, tomatillos (in an open container).