Eat Smart, Waste Less
Save your food from going to waste!
Put fruit and vegetables in the right place
Fruits and vegetables each have their own storage requirements for the longest life. Find food storage tips using the following resources:
Washington County Garbage and Recycling Day app (only available to addresses in Washington County)
Put fruits that need to ripen such as peaches, plums, avocados and tomatoes in a bowl on the counter until ripe. Once ripe, move produce to the refrigerator along with apples, oranges and other already ripe fruit.
Keep it separated
Be careful when storing apples, pears, tomatoes and bananas with other fruit — they emit ethylene, a gas that accelerates ripening. Check fruit regularly. Separate very ripe fruit, such as apples and bananas, from your other produce.
Try drying or freezing ripe fruit if you can’t use them fast enough.
When cooking meals with multiple ingredients – like vegetables, proteins and grains - consider storing the leftover components separately. This offers more flexibility when making new meals from those leftovers.
Other tips
Most refrigerators have produce drawers with humidity settings. Get to know your settings and improve the lifespan of your fruits and vegetables.