20 ways you're probably shortening the lifespan of common foods

Cheyenne LentzSep 21, 2020, 21:35 IST

Food can last longer if it's stored properly.New Africa/Shutterstock

Insider asked chefs, food-safety experts, nutritionists, and dietitians to share their best tips for making food last longer.
They said storing all of your fruit together in a basket can cause it to spoil faster.
Avoid placing tomatoes and bread in the fridge.
The experts also shared the importance of putting milk and pre-cut fruit in the refrigerator to avoid bacteria growth.

Throwing out food that's gone bad can be upsetting considering the money and resources that went into it. Fortunately, food waste can be avoided with the right know-how.

Read on for common mistakes people make when storing their food, along with tips for making groceries last longer.

If you store your eggs outside of their carton, they may be going bad more quickly than you'd like.

Store eggs in the fridge in their original carton. iStock

Blocks of cheese sometimes won't last long in the packaging they came in.

Cheese paper can help the block last much longer. Paul Cowan / Shutterstock

Bread can go stale in the fridge.

Bread should be stored on the counter or in the freezer. STANZI/Shutterstock

Placing all of your fruit in the same basket can lead to over-ripening.

Apples and bananas shouldn't be stored together. Edward Fielding/Shutterstock

Butter can absorb the odors of strong-smelling foods.

Butter can take on the smells of pungent foods. Shutterstock

Don't keep your onions and potatoes together.

The gasses from the onions can cause the potatoes to sprout. Natasha Breen/ Shutterstock

Storing your leafy greens in the plastic bags they came in can lead to wilting.

Salad greens can be stored in paper towels. Shutterstock

You shouldn't stick your fresh herbs directly in the fridge.

There's a little prep work that goes into storing fresh herbs. marcin jucha/Shutterstock

Keeping your brown sugar in its original packaging can cause it to harden.

Brown sugar should be stored in an airtight container. kunmom/Shutterstock

Fresh berries shouldn't stay piled up inside their containers.

Berries should be washed and dried before storing. Katie Haller/Shutterstock

Tomatoes don't belong in the fridge.

Tomatoes can be stored on the counter. Okssi/Shutterstock

Trail mix can actually spoil more quickly at room temperature.

The oil in nuts and seeds can cause them to spoil quicker at room temperature. CookiesForDevo/Shutterstock

The freezer door isn't the best place for ice cream.

The temperature isn't stable enough in the freezer door. Diana Haronis / Contributor/Getty

Opened packages of cereal, chips, and crackers shouldn't go back in the pantry.

Open bags of chips should be sealed in a zipped bag. Shutterstock

Whole melons can lose flavor in the fridge.

Store whole watermelons on the counter. Frank Rothe/Getty Images

Cut fruit, however, shouldn't stay on the counter for too long.

Apple slices won't stay fresh for long on the counter. Salah Ait Mokhtar/Shutterstock

Raw meats and ready-to-eat foods shouldn't be stored near each other.

Keep raw meat on the bottom shelf of your fridge. Africa Studio/Shutterstock

Leftovers need time to cool before they're placed in the fridge, and they should be separated into smaller containers.

Hot leftovers should never go directly into the fridge. Shutterstock

Bacteria growth can ruin milk that's left out of the fridge for too long.

Milk should be kept in the fridge as much as possible. Scott Olson/Getty Images

Condiments can spoil faster if they aren't properly sealed.

Make sure all the lids are securely fastened. rustycanuck/Shutterstock

I've lived in Paris for 6 years, and the city is so much better without the tourists

Cookies on the Business Insider India website