How to Keep Your Vegetables Fresh for Longer

Most vegetables don't go bad because of time, they go bad because of how they're stored. Get the basics right and the same bag of vegetables that wilted in two days can easily last a week.

Start with washing. It's tempting to rinse everything the moment it arrives, but extra moisture is exactly what speeds up rot for leafy greens like spinach and coriander. Wash them right before you cook, not right after you buy them, and if you do wash in advance, dry thoroughly with a clean cloth or salad spinner before storing.

Not everything belongs in the fridge. Onions, potatoes and garlic actually do better in a cool, dark, dry spot outside the fridge, refrigeration makes potatoes turn gritty and can make onions go soft faster. Keep them away from direct sunlight and away from each other, since onions release gases that make potatoes sprout sooner.

For leafy greens like spinach, methi and coriander, wrap them loosely in a dry paper towel or cloth before placing them in a perforated bag or container in the fridge. The cloth absorbs excess moisture, which is usually what causes leaves to turn slimy after just a couple of days.

Tomatoes are another exception, keep them at room temperature, stem-side down, out of direct sun. Cold temperatures dull their flavour and make the texture mealy, which is why tomatoes from the fridge never taste quite as good as ones left on the counter.

For everything else, capsicum, carrots, cauliflower, cabbage, brinjal, the vegetable drawer in your fridge is the right place, ideally in a loosely closed bag rather than sealed airtight. Vegetables still need a little airflow; trapping them in a fully sealed bag speeds up spoilage rather than slowing it down.

Lastly, keep fruits and vegetables apart where you can. Many fruits release a natural gas called ethylene as they ripen, which can make nearby vegetables age and spoil faster than they otherwise would.

A little bit of sorting when your order arrives goes a long way, a few minutes now easily buys you an extra three or four days of freshness later.