Keep your grocery budget in check by storing these products in your fridge for longer-lasting freshness.
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Natural nut butters
Natural nut butters generally contain just two ingredients—the nut and its oil (and sometimes a pinch of salt). Because they lack additives like stabilizers and preservatives, the UConn College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources advises storing them in the fridge.
Here’s why: oils in minimally processed nut butters tend to separate, and the exposed oil is more likely to go rancid quickly. To preserve quality for three to six months, refrigerate the jar and stir from the bottom each time you use it. The same wisdom goes for other naturally oil-rich products, such as tahini.
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Dried fruit
Sure, the dehydrated version of normal fruit doesn’t spoil as quickly as its more moisture-filled counterparts. But keeping dried prunes, dates, apricots, and even raisins in the main compartment of your fridge can help them maintain their best texture and taste.
According to the National Center for Home Food Preservation, dried fruits can last up to a year at room temperature. However, refrigeration significantly extends their quality and freshness (and keeps critters out), especially in warm climates.
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Red wine
If you’re not planning to finish that bottle of Cabernet today, it’s best to keep it in the fridge. As our sibling site Taste of Home explains, when air gets into the bottle, the wine begins to oxidize, gradually losing its flavor and freshness. Storing an opened, sealed bottle at a cool, refrigerated temperature slows this oxidation, helping preserve the wine for about three to five days.
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Salsa
Once you pop open a jar of salsa—whether store‑bought or homemade—it should go straight into the fridge to slow bacterial growth and preserve quality. According to the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, store-bought salsa picante and taco sauces can typically keep in the fridge for up to a month, though quality may degrade after a week or two. Meanwhile, you should finish off fresh, homemade salsa within about five to seven days.
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Apples
Before tastefully arranging apples in a bowl on your counter, take note: according to Clemson University Cooperative Extension, refrigeration can extend their freshness by up to five months. They recommend storing apples in the crisper drawer inside a plastic bag with a few holes poked in it to maintain humidity, which keeps the fruit firm and crisp.
However, even with the best storage, the type of apple affects its shelf life. Thicker-skinned varieties like Fuji or Pink Lady may stay fresh for up to five months, while softer-skinned apples, such as Gala or Golden Delicious, may only last a few weeks.
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Fresh ginger
Not using your fresh ginger all in one go? Wrap unpeeled roots in a sealed bag or container and store them in the crisper drawer of your fridge. According to Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, properly stored ginger can stay fresh for as long as four to six weeks. Adding a slightly damp paper towel inside your storage container can help ginger stay firm, too. Just watch out for signs that it’s going off, such as shriveling or blue-green mold growth.
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Tortillas
If your pack of tortillas was sold refrigerated (such as “fresh” tortillas), it’s best to keep the remainder in the fridge after opening. For shelf‑stable tortillas, refrigeration isn’t strictly required, but it may extend shelf life, especially in warm or humid climates. If you do pop your taco wraps in the fridge, store them in a tightly sealed bag or container to prevent them from drying out.
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Cut flowers
Keep your bouquets fresh for longer by storing them in the fridge overnight. According to the Mississippi State University Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, the cold slows respiration and bacterial growth rates, which prevents your buds from wilting and keeps flowers fresher for longer.
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Ketchup
Your hamburger’s best friend does come with a high acid content that helps deter bacterial growth. However, cooler temperatures work to preserve ketchup’s flavor and smooth texture. Food and nutrition specialists at North Dakota State University say that ketchup stays fresh for about six months in the fridge, while its sidekick, mustard, can keep for up to a year.
While you’re at it, check out the best places to store the rest of your favorite condiments.
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Certain oils
Oils made from nuts or seeds—such as walnut, sesame, or flaxseed oil—contain high levels of healthy fats called polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAS). While PUFAs are great for your heart health, they’re more susceptible to oxidation, meaning these oils are more likely to go rancid faster, according to research published in the Journal of the American Oil Chemists’ Society.
That’s why refrigerating these oils can help them stay fresh for two to four months, per the UConn Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program. Even olive oil—a rich source of monounsaturated fat—will keep for up to a year in the fridge compared to about six months in a cool, dark pantry.
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Avocados
If your avocados are rock solid, it’s best to keep them at room temperature so they can soften naturally. But once they’re ready to use, storing avocados in the fridge slows their natural ripening process, preserving freshness.
To extend the life of a cut avocado by a few days, leave the pit in and sprinkle the exposed flesh with lemon or lime juice. The pit and acidic juice help protect the flesh, slowing down fruit browning caused by oxidation.
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Nuts
Because nuts are rich in oils, storing them at room temperature speeds up oxidation, which makes them go rancid faster and may encourage insect growth. Keeping them in the fridge in airtight containers can help nuts stay fresh for more than a year, according to University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources. If you buy in bulk and want to store nuts longer, freezing them can preserve quality for up to two years.
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