How to Store Groceries So They Last Weeks Longer

Most food waste is a storage problem, not a shopping problem. Where things go in the fridge — and what never goes in it.

2026-09-16 · Page 2 of 3 · 5 min read

Things people refrigerate that shouldn't be

Tomatoes lose flavor in the fridge — the cold kills the enzymes that make them taste like tomatoes. Counter, stem-down, away from sun. Bread also goes stale faster in the fridge (staling is a cold reaction); a bread bin or freezer is right, the fridge is the worst of both.

Potatoes and onions want dark, cool, ventilated cupboard space — and not next to each other: onions make potatoes sprout faster. Whole garlic, winter squash and unripe fruit join them on the counter.

Fresh herbs split into two camps: soft herbs (basil, parsley, cilantro) keep like flowers — a jar of water, loose bag over the top. Hard herbs (rosemary, thyme) keep wrapped in a damp towel in the drawer.

The freezer is a pause button for almost everything

Bread, grated cheese, butter, cooked rice, ripe bananas (for baking), stock, tomato paste in ice-cube trays, even milk. Portion before freezing — a solid brick of anything is its own kind of waste.

Label everything with the date. The unlabeled frozen mystery is how freezers become graveyards.