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Avoidable Waste: 13.1%
Possibly Avoidable Waste: 2.9%
Unavoidable Waste: 7.8%
Biggest Cause of loss: Not Eaten in Time
Storage
Where are they happy?
Apples are crispy when they’re colder, keep them in the crisper or pantry
Where are they miserable?
Near the stove, anywhere with smoke and anywhere warm will make them wilt
Keep With: Potatoes
Keep Away From: Tomatoes, Bananas, Melons, any ethylene absorbers.
Other Important information: They produce a lot of ethylene and if one goes bad they all go bad. Keep an eye on rotten apples, there’s a reason they say one bad one spoils the bunch.
Avoidable Waste: 17.6%
Possibly Avoidable Waste: None
Unavoidable Waste: 25.7%
Biggest Cause of loss: Not Eaten in Time
Storage
Where are they happy?
Citrus is usually happiest in a cool space in the mid-40s. If your fridge is too full, try the pantry or laundry room.
Where are they miserable?
They don’t like big temperature jumps. Avoid anywhere where the average temperature fluctuates considerably.
Keep With: Any fruits
Keep Away From: Tomatoes, Bananas, Melons, any ethylene absorbers.
Other Important information: Most citrus fruits have thick skins and much like people, the thicker the skin, the more they tolerate, so they handle most produce without much problem!
Avoidable Waste: 13.1%
Possibly Avoidable Waste: 2.9%
Unavoidable Waste: 7.8%
Biggest Cause of loss: Not Eaten in Time
Storage
Where are they happy?
The Jury is still out on whether Fridges are better long term, what’s known for sure is they do last longer out of the fridge than in it.
Where are they miserable?
Cucumbers can’t deal with extreme cold, freezers and very cold fridges will make them pit and bruise.
Keep With: Non-Ethylene Producing Produce
Keep Away From: Ethelyne Producers
Avoidable Waste: 3.2%
Possibly Avoidable Waste: None
Unavoidable Waste: 7.8%
Biggest Cause of loss: Not Eaten in Time
Storage
Where are they happy?
Where are they happy?
Banana’s are famously fickle, as they ripen, they like warm places, keep them on the counter. When they’re ripe, leave them in the fridge
Keep With: More bananas
Keep Away From: They like to play alone, they don’t like being with others. Don’t leave them next to the fruit bowl, keep them on their own.
Other Important information: Few fruits absorb ethylene like bananas. Well ventilated spaces do them well, additionally, most ethylene they produce come from the stems, you can wrap those to save a bit of time
Avoidable Waste: 16.2%
Possibly Avoidable Waste: 0.3%
Unavoidable Waste: 0.9%
Biggest Cause of loss: Not Eaten in Time
Storage
Where are they happy?
As is the tragedy of the common vegetable, so is it for the weary tomato. They really last best in the upper 40’s to mid 50’s. Too cold for room temperature, but too warm for the fridge. If you have a dark chilly cupboard or closet, that would be their happy place
Where are they miserable?
As soon as they’re ripe, keep them cool, tomatoes will mature until they become soft, rotten messes in warm weather
Keep With: Ethylene absorbers
Keep Away From: Ethylene sensitive produce, they pump out ethylene but aren’t as susceptible to it.
Avoidable Waste: 16.0%
Possibly Avoidable Waste: 3.9%
Unavoidable Waste: None
Biggest Cause of loss: Not Eaten in Time
Storage
Where are they happy?
Mushrooms need to breathe, keeping them in a paper bag or just sitting in your produce drawer is ideal. Keeping them cold is the best, so we advise the fridge for these fun guys.
Where are they miserable?
Plastic. They HATE plastic, anywhere where water is trapped with them will ultimately make them slimy and rot quickly.
Keep With: Anything! They don’t react to ethylene and are happy with any produce!
Other Important information: Mushrooms are very hearty, they can handle the freezer exceptionally well, so feel free to freeze them if you’re not planning to use them within a few days.
Avoidable Waste: 21.9%
Possibly Avoidable Waste: 14.9%
Unavoidable Waste: 4.9%
Biggest Cause of loss: Not Eaten in Time
Storage
Where are they happy?
Carrots can be stored without much fuss in the fridge, so long as you store them properly, they can last much longer than we all are used to
Where are they miserable?
Heat will increase the rate at which carrots degrade, for long term storage, keep em cool.
Keep With: Ethylene absorbers
Keep Away From: Ethylene producers, carrots can wilt faster around them
Other Important information: Cut off their stems! The leafy part of carrots is the prime ethylene producer, additonally, when submerged in cold water, carrots can last up to a month! We realize that isn’t all that practical, so in your crisper drawer will do fine.
Avoidable Waste: 17.3%
Possibly Avoidable Waste: 0.8%
Unavoidable Waste: 22.6%
Biggest Cause of loss: Not Eaten in Time
Storage
Where are they happy?
Onions are beasts when it comes to lasting in the kitchen. Leave them in a breathable container in your pantry and forget about them. In a dark cool pantry, whole onions can last upwards of 3 months!
Where are they miserable?
Keep whole onions out of the fridge, the air is too cold and moist, they’ll either rot or dry out.
Keep With: Ethylene absorbers
Keep Away From: Strong ethylene producers
Other Important information: As soon as you chop an onion, you decimate its lifespan, a cut onion will only last a matter of days, but you can freeze them for months after being chopped.
Avoidable Waste: 37.8%
Possibly Avoidable Waste: 2.8%
Unavoidable Waste: 3.8%
Biggest Cause of loss: Not Eaten in Time
Storage
Where are they happy?
They prefer cold to warm. It keeps them fresh and crisp. Keep them in the fridge.
Where are they miserable?
There are two enemies to keeping leafy greens fresh, heat and moisture. Keep that kale cold, the pantry or counter won’t do it good.
Keep With: Ethylene Absorbers
Keep Away From: Ethylene producers
Other Important information: One way, while impractical, to keep leafy greens really fresh is to stack them in between layers of paper towels. That can extend their life by days!
Avoidable Waste: 20.2%
Possibly Avoidable Waste: 26.0%
Unavoidable Waste: None
Biggest Cause of loss: Not Eaten in Time
Storage
Where are they happy?
Cold and Dark are the friends of potatoes. Keeping them in your pantry should give them a shelf life of a few weeks, but the colder, the better (so long as they don’t freeze).
Where are they miserable?
Keeping potatoes in the light will make them start to do what they do best, spud. They will turn green and begin to grow little appendages in search of soil.
Keep With: Themselves, potatoes like isolation
Keep Away From: Ethylene producers
Other Important information: Potatoes that have turned green are best replanted or composted.
Avoidable Waste: 13.1%
Possibly Avoidable Waste: 0.6%
Unavoidable Waste: 1.5%
Biggest Cause of loss: Not Eaten in Time
Storage
Where are they happy?
Berries prefer to be stored in a cold dry place. It is best to place berries in their container in the fridge unwashed. When it comes time to eat, wash the berries that you are going to eat and place the rest back in the fridge unwashed
Where are they miserable?
Berries hate being in the heat. Keep berries away from any kitchen appliances that may warm them up or out of the sun where they will spoil faster.
Keep With: Other berries and dry produce
Keep Away From: Any produce that may get the berries wet
Other Important information: Washing and then storing berries can lead to faster spoilage times and more food waste from your home
Avoidable Waste: 11.9%
Possibly Avoidable Waste: 3.8%
Unavoidable Waste: 3.3%
Biggest Cause of loss: Not Eaten in Time
Storage
Where are they happy?
Beans are very similar to berries where they prefer to be stored in a cool, dry place. Fresh beans should be placed in a sealable container and placed in the fridge for a longer life.
Where are they miserable?
Beans left in the sun or near a heat source will lead to slimy and wet beans that are no longer safe to eat
Keep With: Themselves
Keep Away From: Ethylene producers
Other Important information: Green beans can be washed, cut, and frozen to save the beans for a much later date
Avoidable Waste: 16.6%
Possibly Avoidable Waste: 0.3%
Unavoidable Waste: 3.8%
Biggest Cause of loss: Not Eaten in Time
Storage
Where are they happy?
Pears are happiest when they can ripen on the counter and moved to the fridge once ripened. To ripen pears faster, they can be stored in a paper bag with an apple or banana
Where are they miserable?
After ripening pears will rot faster in warm environments or when near other ethylene producers
Keep With: Citrus fruits (once ripe)
Keep Away From: Ethylene producers or ethylene sensitive produce
Other Important information: Pears do not ripen on the tree and tend to need to ripen a bit at home!
Avoidable Waste: 17.5%
Possibly Avoidable Waste: None
Unavoidable Waste: 12.4%
Biggest Cause of loss: Not Eaten in Time
Storage
Where are they happy?
These fruits like to ripen at room temperature, but upon ripening should be stored in the fridge.
Where are they miserable?
Stone fruits are quick to spoil after ripening, so extended storage with ethylene producers or in warm areas will result in mushy mealy fruit
Keep With: Citrus fruits
Keep Away From: Ethylene producers (after ripening)
Other Important information: When freezing stone fruits, it is best to blanch them and the freeze them with the pits removed
Avoidable Waste: 7.3%
Possibly Avoidable Waste: 7.0%
Unavoidable Waste: 12.0%
Biggest Cause of loss: Not Eaten in Time
Storage
Where are they happy?
Cauliflower is a vegetable that should be stored in the fridge loosely wrapped in plastic. By locking in the moisture and keeping it cool, cauliflower can stay good for a couple of weeks
Where are they miserable?
Like many veggies, cauliflower does not like the heat which can cause it to brown faster.
Keep With: Cucumber
Keep Away From: Tomatoes and Bananas (ethylene producers)
Other Important information: To freeze, blanch the cauliflower in hot water before placing in the freezer
Avoidable Waste: 25.5%
Possibly Avoidable Waste: None
Unavoidable Waste: 56.6%
Biggest Cause of loss: Not Eaten in Time
Storage
Where are they happy?
Melons should be kept whole and at room temperature until ripe. Once ripened the melons enjoy being refrigerated. A ripened melon will often give off a sweet fragrance at the end opposite the stem.
Where are they miserable?
Melons appear to have a thick skin but are actually very susceptible to ethylene. To avoid spoilage, melons should be kept away from ethylene producers after ripening
Keep With: Themselves (apples/bananas for ripening)
Keep Away From: Ethylene producers after ripening
Other Important information: Some melons are not able to ripen further after harvest (E.g. Watermelon)