Skip to content

Top Navigation

MyRecipes MyRecipes
  • Course
  • Baking
  • Global
  • Healthy
  • Favorite Ingredients
  • Holidays and Occasions
  • Quick and Easy
  • Convenience Recipes
  • BBQ and Grilling
  • How To
  • Extra Crispy
  • News

Profile Menu

Your Profile

Account

  • Register
  • Email Preferences
  • Logout
Login
Pin FB

Explore MyRecipes

MyRecipes MyRecipes
  • Explore

    Explore

    • 55+ Easy Dinner Recipes for Busy Weeknights

      55+ Easy Dinner Recipes for Busy Weeknights

      Everybody understands the stuggle of getting dinner on the table after a long day. If you're looking for a simple recipe to simplify your weeknight, you've come to the right place--easy dinners are our specialty. For an easy supper that you can depend on, we picked out some of our tried-and-true favorites that have gotten us through even the busiest of days. Whether you're cooking for yourself or for a family, these easy dinners are sure to leave everyone satisfied and stress-free. Read More
    • The Brilliant Secret to Making Better Mashed Potatoes

      The Brilliant Secret to Making Better Mashed Potatoes

      Trust me, it’s so worth it. Read More
    • 65 Super Easy Finger Foods to Make for Any Party

      65 Super Easy Finger Foods to Make for Any Party

      From chips and dip to one-bite apps, finger foods are the perfect way to kick off a party. No forks or spoons required, just easy-to-pick-up party foods, so you can clean up in no time.  Read More
  • Course

    Course

    See All Course
    • Best Appetizer Recipes...Ever
    • Best Drink Recipes for Any Occasion
    • Salad Recipes
    • The Ultimate Guide to Sensational Sides
    • Soup and Stew Recipes
    • Easy Entertaining for Everyone
    • Breakfast and Brunch Recipes
    • Main Dishes and Entrées
    • Dinner Recipes
    • Dessert Recipes
  • Baking

    Baking

    See All Baking
    • Bread Recipes
    • Our Most-Loved Cake Recipes
    • Cookie Recipes
    • Pie Recipes
  • Global

    Global

    See All Global
    • Spanish Recipes
    • Thai Recipes
    • Vietnamese Recipes
    • Middle Eastern Recipes
    • Mexican Recipes
    • Malaysian Recipes
    • Korean Recipes
    • Japanese Recipes
    • Italian Recipes
    • Indian Recipes
    • Greek Recipes
    • French Recipes
    • Chinese Recipes
    • African Recipes
    • American Recipes
    • Cajun and Creole Recipes
    • Caribbean Recipes
    • South American Recipes
    • Southern Recipes
    • German Recipes
  • Healthy

    Healthy

    See All Healthy
    • Easy, Healthy Recipes
    • Healthy Breakfasts
    • Healthy Dinners
    • Healthy Desserts
    • Diabetic Recipes
    • Gluten-Free Diet and Recipes
    • Vegan Recipes
    • Low Carbohydrate Recipes
    • Low Cholesterol Recipes
    • Low Fat Recipes
    • Low Sodium Recipes
    • Low Calorie Recipes
    • Vegetarian Recipes
  • Favorite Ingredients

    Favorite Ingredients

    See All Favorite Ingredients
    • The Ultimate Guide to Chicken
    • Vegetable Recipes
    • Beef Recipes
    • Cheese Recipes
    • Chocolate Recipes
    • Pasta Recipes
    • Pork Recipes
    • Seafood Recipes
    • Shrimp Recipes
  • Holidays and Occasions

    Holidays and Occasions

    See All Holidays and Occasions
    • A Foodie's Guide to Halloween Recipes
    • The Ultimate Thanksgiving Guide
    • Hanukkah Recipes
    • Your Ultimate Christmas Recipe Guide
    • Our Most Festive New Year's Recipes
    • Best-Ever Super Bowl Sunday Recipes
    • Best Valentine's Day Recipes
    • Mardi Gras Recipes
    • The Ultimate Guide to Easter Recipes
    • Cinco de Mayo Recipes
    • Labor Day Recipes
    • The Ultimate Fourth of July Guide
    • Memorial Day Recipes
    • Touchdown-Worthy Tailgate Recipes
    • Wedding and Shower Recipes
  • Quick and Easy

    Quick and Easy

    See All Quick and Easy
    • 15-Minute Recipes for Busy Home Cooks
    • 5 Ingredients or Less
    • Dinner Tonight
    • No-Cook Recipes
    • 45-Minute Recipes
  • Convenience Recipes

    Convenience Recipes

    See All Convenience Recipes
    • Budget-Friendly Recipes
    • Our Top Make-Ahead Recipes
    • Our Favorite Slow Cooker Recipes
    • Instant Pot Recipes
  • BBQ and Grilling

    BBQ and Grilling

    See All BBQ and Grilling
    • Grilled Beef Recipes
    • Grilled Fish Recipes
    • Grilled Shrimp Recipes
    • Grilled Chicken Recipes
    • Grilled Pork Recipes
    • Grilled Vegetable Recipes
  • How To

    How To

    See All How To
    • 7 Ways With...
    • Videos
    • Ingredients and Tools
    • Kitchen Cleaning
  • Extra Crispy
  • News

Profile Menu

Your Profile

Account

  • Register
  • Email Preferences
  • Logout
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Home
  2. Best Your Best Chef-Self: The Complete How-To Guide
  3. 30 Kitchen Storage Secrets That'll Keep Your Food Fresh

30 Kitchen Storage Secrets That'll Keep Your Food Fresh

Updated February 21, 2019
Skip gallery slides
Pin
EC: How to Store Fresh Ginger
Credit: Photo by HD Connelly via Getty Images

How to correctly store everything—from your bananas to your plastic wrap.

Start Slideshow

1 of 20

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email

How to Store Cut Bananas So They Last Longer and Taste Their Best

EC: How to Store Bananas So They Don't Turn Black
Credit: Photo by Larry Washburn via Getty Images

Though consuming bananas fresh is always best, says Rushing, there are some simple hacks that will prevent halved or otherwise cut bananas from turning into brown mush. If stored optimally with the tips described below, cut bananas are typically good for up to three days, he says.

1 of 20

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 20

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email

How to Store Apples to Keep Them Fresher Longer

Linvilla Orchards
Credit: Courtesy of Linvilla Orchards

To save yourself another trip to the grocery store (and lost cash), make sure you’re caring for fall’s favorite fruit and maximizing their delicious flavor and health perks.

2 of 20

3 of 20

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email

12 Storage Mistakes That Are Spoiling Your Leftovers—And How to Fix Them

12 Storage Mistakes That Are Spoiling Your Leftovers—And How to Fix Them
Credit: joey333/Getty Images

Aluminum foil and aluminum bowls may seem like easy storage options, but they shouldn’t be your go-tos, especially when it comes to dairy and acidic foods like marinades and tomatoes, says Harley Peet, executive chef at Bluepoint Hospitality Group in Easton, Maryland.

3 of 20

Advertisement

4 of 20

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email

Here’s Exactly How to Store Salad Greens Until You Need Them

Here’s Exactly How to Store Summer Salad Greens Until You Need Them
Credit: Suzifoo

With a little bit of planning and the right tools at your disposal, you can extend the shelf life of your salad greens and rid yourself of that food waste guilt (and lost money). The result? A gorgeously delicious fresh and crispy salad you meant to make for Saturday’s dinner (but put off until Tuesday) can still be a reality.

4 of 20

5 of 20

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email

How to Store Peaches So They Last Longer (And Taste Their Best)

Desserts
Credit: Jennifer Causey

The obvious solution here is to turn my past-due peaches into jams, smoothies, compotes and other fruity concoctions. But what if I want to savor them as nature intended—whole, raw and dripping in tangy-sweet juicy goodness? Turns out, there are simple steps I can take to prolong the life of these magical stone fruits and ensure I’m eating them at their very best.

5 of 20

6 of 20

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email

10 Things You're Storing Incorrectly in Your Fridge

getty-open-fridge-image
Credit: AndreyPopov/Getty Images

These tips can help you keep your goods from going bad before you’re able to chop, dice, or mince them into a meal.

6 of 20

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 20

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email

You're Storing Plastic Wrap Completely Wrong

Plastic Wrap Roll
Credit: Dorling Kindersley/Getty Images

We've all done the plastic wrap shuffle. You know what we're talking about — when we just can't tear the right portion off of a roll, or a staticky piece of the stuff doesn't wrap properly. Then we strive to start anew and tear off a fresh piece, and the same battle encores. Sigh.

7 of 20

8 of 20

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email

The Easiest Way to Store Your Knives

The Easiest Way to Store Your Knives

Got too many knives for your knife block? Or just no knife block at all? Food & Wine Culinary Director Justin Chapple has the Mad Genius Tip that'll get you safely storing all your blades away, using just two easy-to-find items.

8 of 20

9 of 20

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email

How to Store Cauliflower So It Doesn't Turn Brown

EC: How to Store Cauliflower So It Doesn't Turn Brown
Credit: Photo by Westend61 via Getty Images

Cauliflower might not be an obvious choice for breakfast, but this versatile vegetable is actually a perfect addition to any morning meal—especially in September, when it's in season. Whether you're making potato-free cauliflower hash browns or craving cheesy cauliflower grits, you want to make sure that cauliflower is fresh. Otherwise, your purees will get gummy and your florets will be limp and sad, and the whole vegetable will look sad and brown. So how do you store cauliflower so it stays fresh for as long as possible and doesn't turn brown?

9 of 20

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 20

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email

How to Store Scallions So They Don't Wilt

EC: How to Store Scallions So They Don't Wilt
Credit: Photo by JohnGollop via Getty Images

Scallions, also known as green onions, are relatively finicky vegetables. If you don't store them correctly, your scallions will wilt and turn into a dark green, moist mass that you have to toss. So how do you store scallions to keep them as fresh as possible for as long as possible? Well, unlike regular onions, which stay freshest at room temperature, scallions should be stored in the fridge. That's because scallions are more like leafy greens than they are root vegetables, and so you should be treating them more like herbs or spinach than potatoes or regular white or yellow onions.

10 of 20

11 of 20

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email

How to Store Cilantro So It Doesn't Wilt

EC: How to Store Cilantro So It Doesn't Wilt
Credit: Photo by Halfdark via Getty Images

If you're one of those people who can't stand cilantro and think the herb tastes like soap, stop reading now. But if you love cilantro, and wish you could put it on everything, you know that it's best enjoyed fresh—which is why it's so sad when fresh leaves of cilantro gets slimy before you have a chance to use it. The trick to keeping this herb fresh for as long as possible comes down to learning how to store cilantro properly. And fortunately, it's not that hard a skill to master.

11 of 20

12 of 20

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email

How to Store Carrots So They Don't Wilt

Bunch of fresh, raw carrots
Credit: Photo by Harshal S. Hirve via Unsplash

Carrots are known for their crisp, crunchy texture when eaten raw, but these root vegetables can get soggy and limp and even wilt you don't store them correctly. The good news is that carrots are hardy, and learning how to keep carrots fresh for a long time isn't that complicated. In fact, according to Sweetwater Organic Farm in Tampa, FL, you can store carrots for up to a month in the fridge—if you follow a few simple guidelines.

12 of 20

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 20

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email

How to Store Basil So It Stays Fresh

EC: How to Store Basil So It Stays Fresh
Credit: Photo by Westend61 via Getty Images

The best way to do extend the shelf life of basil is to learn how to store basil correctly. And though, like many leafy greens, basil is delicate, there are a couple steps you can take to make sure your basil lasts as long as possible.

13 of 20

14 of 20

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email

How to Store Grapes So They Last Longer

EC: How to Store Grapes So They Last Longer
Credit: Photo via Unsplash

Grapes are surprisingly fickle fruits. If you don't store them correctly, they can shrivel up or even get moldy. But when you consider the fact that grapes are actually berries, and berries have a notoriously short shelf-life, it's kind of surprising that grapes last in your fridge as long as they do. In fact, if stored correctly, regular table grapes can stay fresh for long time.

14 of 20

15 of 20

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email

How to Keep Mushrooms Fresh So They Don't Get Slimy

EC: How to Keep Mushrooms Fresh So They Don't Get Slimy
Credit: Photo by nndanko via Getty Images

Mushrooms are delicate vegetables, both in taste and temperament. If you don't pay attention, your mushrooms can go from beautiful to a sludgy, slimy mess in a couple of days. That's why it's so important to learn how to store mushrooms correctly—because proper storage and handling is what prevents these fungi from going totally bad before you have a chance to eat them.

15 of 20

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

16 of 20

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email

How to Store Sweet Potatoes So They Don't Shrivel Up

EC: How to Store Sweet Potatoes So They Don't Shrivel Up
Credit: Photo by zeleno via Getty Images

Sweet potatoes are the unsung heroes of breakfast. There are so many easy and healthy ways to cook with this versatile vegetable, and these sweet potato recipes can keep you feeling full for hours. But it can be kind of tricky to know when sweet potatoes are ripe and ready to be used—and even trickier to know exactly when a sweet potato has gone bad. Plus, how do you store a sweet potato? And how long do sweet potatoes last?

16 of 20

17 of 20

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email

How to Store Spinach So It Doesn't Get Slimy

EC: How to Store Spinach So It Doesn't Get Slimy
Credit: Photo by Flavia Morlachetti via Getty Images

Whether you add it raw into smoothies, sauté it for an omelet, or bake it into a quiche, spinach is one of those rare, versatile vegetables that's easy to add to any meal for some extra nutrition. But like most salad greens, spinach is fickle, and if you don't store spinach correctly, there's a good chance your spinach will wilt before you have a chance to use it. And you'll definitely know when your spinach has gone bad. The edges of the once bright, crisp green leaves will first turn yellow, and eventually, the leaves will get gnarly and soggy, often taking on an unpleasant smell. At that point, your spinach is better off in the compost pile than on your plate.

17 of 20

18 of 20

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email

How to Store Pears So They Don't Get Mealy

EC: How to Store Pears So They Don't Get Mealy
Credit: Photo via Unsplash

A lot of folks don't like pears because they're too mealy—but more often that not, that gritty, unpleasant texture is a result of incorrect storage and improper handling rather than a problem with the fruit itself. If you want to avoid biting into a piece of fruit that's soft and mushy with the texture of sand, you should learn how to store pears properly. And really, storing pears correctly couldn't be more simple.

18 of 20

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

19 of 20

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email

How to Keep Strawberries Fresh for As Long As Possible

EC: How to Keep Strawberries Fresh for As Long As Possible
Credit: Photo by PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images

There are few feelings more tragic than reaching for a handful of fresh strawberries, only to realize the berries have shriveled up and turned a deep burgundy color or, worse, gotten moldy. The bad news for those looking to keep strawberries fresh for as long as possible is that strawberries have a decidedly short shelf life. They really only last on the shelf a few days, due to "their thin skin and fragile structure," writes Harold McGee in On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen. And that's even with cold storage. So what is the best way to store fresh strawberries and keep strawberries from going bad?

19 of 20

20 of 20

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email

How to Store Fresh Ginger

EC: How to Store Fresh Ginger
Credit: Photo by HD Connelly via Getty Images

Fresh ginger has an unmistakable snap to it, so you know you've got old ginger on your hands when it kind of bends when you try to cleanly break it in two. And that's sad for everyone. So what's the best way to store fresh ginger so that it stays as fresh and snappy for as long as possible? There are actually a few different ways to store fresh ginger, and the method that's best for you and your ginger really depends on how you're planning on using this rhizome—and yes, ginger is technically a rhizome, not a root—in your kitchen.

20 of 20

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 20 How to Store Cut Bananas So They Last Longer and Taste Their Best
    2 of 20 How to Store Apples to Keep Them Fresher Longer
    3 of 20 12 Storage Mistakes That Are Spoiling Your Leftovers—And How to Fix Them
    4 of 20 Here’s Exactly How to Store Salad Greens Until You Need Them
    5 of 20 How to Store Peaches So They Last Longer (And Taste Their Best)
    6 of 20 10 Things You're Storing Incorrectly in Your Fridge
    7 of 20 You're Storing Plastic Wrap Completely Wrong
    8 of 20 The Easiest Way to Store Your Knives
    9 of 20 How to Store Cauliflower So It Doesn't Turn Brown
    10 of 20 How to Store Scallions So They Don't Wilt
    11 of 20 How to Store Cilantro So It Doesn't Wilt
    12 of 20 How to Store Carrots So They Don't Wilt
    13 of 20 How to Store Basil So It Stays Fresh
    14 of 20 How to Store Grapes So They Last Longer
    15 of 20 How to Keep Mushrooms Fresh So They Don't Get Slimy
    16 of 20 How to Store Sweet Potatoes So They Don't Shrivel Up
    17 of 20 How to Store Spinach So It Doesn't Get Slimy
    18 of 20 How to Store Pears So They Don't Get Mealy
    19 of 20 How to Keep Strawberries Fresh for As Long As Possible
    20 of 20 How to Store Fresh Ginger

    Share & More

    Facebook Tweet Email
    MyRecipes

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • Advertise this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    MeredithMyRecipes.com is part of the Allrecipes Food Group. © Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. MyRecipes is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. MyRecipes may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright MyRecipes. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.myrecipes.com

    Sign in

    View image

    30 Kitchen Storage Secrets That'll Keep Your Food Fresh
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.