Most produce is thrown away long before it had to be. Storage is usually the reason, and the fixes are simple.
Keep ethylene producers away from the rest
Apples, bananas, tomatoes, avocados and stone fruit release ethylene as they ripen, which speeds ripening in everything nearby. Store them apart from leafy greens, broccoli and cucumbers.
What belongs on the counter
- Bananas — never the fridge; the skin blackens and the texture suffers.
- Tomatoes — refrigeration mutes the flavour and turns the flesh mealy.
- Potatoes, onions, garlic — cool, dark and dry, with air movement. Keep potatoes and onions apart.
- Avocados — counter until they yield to gentle pressure, then the fridge to hold them.
What belongs in the fridge
- Leafy greens and herbs — a container with a dry paper towel to absorb moisture.
- Berries — unwashed until the moment you eat them; water is what makes them mould.
- Carrots and celery — in water, sealed. They stay crisp for well over a week.
- Broccoli and cauliflower — loosely covered, not sealed tight.
Wash late, not early
Washing produce when you get home feels efficient and shortens its life. Surface moisture is what mould needs. Wash immediately before use instead.
Use the freezer as a pause button
Fruit heading past its best becomes smoothie stock. Herbs can be chopped into an ice tray with a little oil. Bread freezes well and toasts straight from frozen.
Rotate deliberately
When a delivery arrives, move what is already there to the front. It takes twenty seconds and it is the single habit that most reduces waste.