Produce: How Long Fruits & Vegetables Keep

Produce doesn’t run on dates — it runs on ripeness and on where you put it. Some of it sits on the counter until it’s ripe and only then earns a fridge shelf (bananas, avocados, melons); some wants cold from the day you buy it (bagged greens, berries, herbs); and potatoes and garlic keep longer in a dark, dry cupboard than they do in the crisper. Below is every fruit, vegetable, and fresh herb USDA’s FoodKeeper covers, with the counter, fridge, and freezer windows side by side. Where the dataset says “When Ripe” instead of a number, that is the real answer — the fruit tells you, and the clock only starts once it has.