Fresh Produce Storage Guidelines

  • Store most fresh produce under refrigeration, with a few exceptions (bananas, tomatoes, potatoes, and dry onions).
  • Store fruits vegetables that need further ripening, notably peaches and avocados, at room temperature (65˚ to 70˚F). Refrigerate them once properly ripened.
  • Storage temperatures for fresh produce should be maintained at 40° to 45°F, with a relative humidity of 80 to 90%.
  • The ideal situation is to have a separate walk-in or reach-in refrigerators reserved for fruits and vegetables.
  • Keep fruits and vegetables dry; excess moisture promotes spoilage.
  • Trim the leafy tops on vegetables such as beets, turnips, carrots, and radishes before storage; the tops will continue to absorb nutrients and moisture from the vegetable otherwise.
  • Certain fruits (including apples and melons) emit high amounts of ethylene gas.  Ethylene gas accelerates ripening in unripe fruits and promotes spoilage in fruits and vegetables.  These foods should be stored away from other produce, either in a separate unit or enclosed containers, unless they’re being used deliberately as a ripening agent.
  • Onions, garlic, lemons, and melons are among the fruits and vegetables that give off odors that can permeate other foods.  Dairy products and certain fruits (apples and cherries, for example) absorb odors readily; keep these foods separate from such fruits and vegetables.