love food storage.

This resource is part of our ‘Love what you eat‘ campaign for National Nutrition Week 2025.

A little know-how goes a long way when it comes to keeping your food fresh, tasty, and ready to enjoy. Storing your groceries the right way can save you money, reduce waste, and make sure every meal is as good as it can be. Use these tips to make your fridge, freezer, and pantry work their magic.

Pantry pals: Onions, potatoes, garlic and ginger prefer a cool, dark, well-ventilated spot, the pantry is perfect. Keep them away from direct sunlight so they don’t sprout too quickly.

Fridge friends: Most other veggies will last longer in your fridge’s crisper drawer. This helps control humidity and keeps them crisp.

No more limp carrots: Store carrots and celery in a jar or container of water in the fridge just remember to change the water every couple of days.

Freeze for a rainy day: Chop older vegetables and freeze them in an airtight container or freezer bag. They’ll be ready for soups, stews, curries or stir-fries whenever you need them.

Cool and crunchy: Apples, berries, and grapes love the fridge, which keeps them firm and fresh.

Bench beauties: Bananas and citrus fruits do best in a fruit bowl on the bench where they can shine (and ripen naturally).

Stone fruit smarts: Nectarines, peaches, and plums taste best when ripened at room temperature. Once they’re perfect, pop them into the fridge to keep them that way for longer.

Freeze the goodness: Many fruits can be frozen just wash, dry, and remove stones or stems first. They make great smoothie additions or baking ingredients later on.

Handy hint: Keep ethylene-producing fruits (like bananas and apples) separate from ethylene-sensitive produce (like lettuce, broccoli, and carrots) to slow down spoilage.

• Bottom shelf = safest shelf: Raw meat, poultry, and fish should live on the lowest shelf in the fridge, in sealed containers, so any drips don’t touch other foods.

• Future feasts: If you’re not going to use meat within a couple of days, pop it in the freezer. Label it with the date so you can use it while it’s still at its best.

• Pantry perfect: Rice, pasta, flour, and canned foods can live happily in a cool, dry cupboard until opened.

• Seal the freshness: Once opened, transfer grains to airtight containers to keep out moisture and pests.

• Leftover love: Cooked grains like rice and quinoa can be stored in the fridge for a few days or frozen in portions for easy weeknight meals.

1. Slice bread before freezing so you can take just what you need.

2. Keep a “use-soon” box in the fridge for items that need to be eaten in the next day or two.

3. Turn slightly soft fruit into smoothies or muffins rather than throwing them away.

4. Get creative with “leftovers night” to use up what you have before shopping again.

• Food Standards: Storing Food Safely

• CSIRO: Refrigerating Foods

• Sustainability Victoria: Storing Fresh Produce

• OzHarvest “Use It Up Tape” –OzHarvest has developed a (free) Use It Up Tape! This tape can be used to mark a shelf in your fridge, pantry or freezer, or on containers of food that needs using up. It’s a visual reminder for the whole household. Once you can see it, you can use it up!