Store Food to Stay Fresh Longer

Photo of berries in containers

Taking a little extra time to store food to last longer can save you money since you won’t need to buy as much food. There are lots of easy ways to help food last longer.

  • Store fruits and vegetables away from each other. Fruits make vegetables go bad faster. Vegetables need moisture, so store them in the high-humidity drawer in your fridge. Fruits need air, so store them in the low-humidity drawer.
  • Ripe bananas give off a gas that makes the fruit around them ripen faster—store them away from other fruit.
  • Remove rubber bands and twist ties from vegetables and herbs before storing.
  • Keep onions stored away from potatoes—they make them sprout faster.
  • Store milk, eggs, and butter in the back of the fridge where it’s coldest—the fridge door is too warm for them.
  • Keep bread in the freezer for longer storage—putting bread in the fridge makes it stale faster.
Small image of guide cover; select for searchable PDF version

Download our Food storage guide (pdf) for more tips on where and how to store food to stay fresh longer. For a more detailed guide to food storage, visit savethefood.com.

Public Utilities

Andrew Lee, General Manager and CEO
Address: 700 5th Avenue, Suite 4900, Seattle, WA, 98104
Mailing Address: PO Box 34018, Seattle, WA, 98124-5177
Phone: (206) 684-3000
SPUCustomerService@seattle.gov

Newsletter Updates

Subscribe

Sign up for the latest updates from Public Utilities

Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) is comprised of three major direct-service providing utilities: the Water Utility, the Drainage and Wastewater Utility, and the Solid Waste Utility.