Produce: how long it lasts
Fruits and vegetables are the foods where room temperature, the fridge and the freezer each mean something different, and where the official sources often add a step before freezing. Each page lists the times from USDA FoodKeeper beside university extension charts and the freezing pages of the National Center for Home Food Preservation, with the date we checked each one. Notes on preparing a vegetable for the freezer, or on how its texture changes, are quoted from the page that says so. When sources give different numbers, both appear with the stricter first, and an uncovered cell says Not stated.
Foods in this category
- MushroomsFresh: 3-7 days in the fridge and 10-12 months in the freezer for best quality. FoodKeeper
- PotatoesFresh: 1-2 weeks in the fridge, 10-12 months in the freezer for best quality and 1 month in the pantry. FoodKeeper Extension
- OnionsBulb (yellow, white, red): 2 months in the fridge, 10-12 months in the freezer for best quality and 1 month in the pantry. FoodKeeper
- GarlicFresh: 3-14 days in the fridge, 1 month in the freezer for best quality and 1 month in the pantry. FoodKeeper
- CabbageFresh: 1-2 weeks in the fridge and 10-12 months in the freezer for best quality. FoodKeeper
- Sweet potatoesFresh: keeping it in the fridge is not recommended and 2-3 weeks in the pantry. Extension FoodKeeper
- TomatoesFresh: 1-2 days in the fridge, 2 months in the freezer for best quality and when ripe in the pantry. Extension FoodKeeper
- BroccoliFresh: 3-5 days in the fridge, 10-12 months in the freezer for best quality and keeping it in the pantry is not recommended. FoodKeeper Extension
- LemonsWhole: 10-21 days in the fridge, freezing is not recommended and 10 days in the pantry. FoodKeeper
- GrapesFresh: 1 week in the fridge, 1 month in the freezer for best quality and 1 day in the pantry. FoodKeeper
- BlueberriesFresh: 1-2 weeks in the fridge, 8-12 months in the freezer for best quality and keeping it in the pantry is not recommended. FoodKeeper Extension
- AvocadosFresh: 3-4 days in the fridge, freezing is not recommended and keeping it in the pantry is not recommended. FoodKeeper Extension
- ZucchiniFresh: 4-5 days in the fridge, 10 months in the freezer for best quality and keeping it in the pantry is not recommended. FoodKeeper FoodKeeper Extension
- BananasFresh: 3 days in the fridge, 2-3 months in the freezer for best quality and keeping it in the pantry is not recommended. FoodKeeper Extension
- StrawberriesFresh: 2-3 days in the fridge, 8-12 months in the freezer for best quality and keeping it in the pantry is not recommended. FoodKeeper Extension
- LettuceIceberg or romaine: 1-2 weeks in the fridge and freezing is not recommended. FoodKeeper
- GingerFresh root: 2-3 weeks in the fridge, 3 months in the freezer for best quality and 2-5 days in the pantry. FoodKeeper Extension
- CarrotsFresh: 2-3 weeks in the fridge, 10-12 months in the freezer for best quality and keeping it in the pantry is not recommended. FoodKeeper Extension
- OrangesWhole oranges: 10-21 days in the fridge, freezing is not recommended and 10 days in the pantry. FoodKeeper