February 20, 2025, 2:16 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
Not all fruit and vegetables feel at home in the vegetable drawer of the fridge — some varieties even lose their flavor there or go bad more quickly. Food that is particularly sensitive to the cold should be stored elsewhere. But what can and can’t go in the drawer?
The vegetable drawer in the fridge is the ideal place to store many types of fruit and vegetables — but not all of them. Some react sensitively to low temperatures, lose their aroma, or even suffer damage. Below, myHOMEBOOK explains which fruits and vegetables are in good hands in the fridge and which are better stored elsewhere.
Not All Fruits and Vegetables Feel at Home in the Fridge
Some fruits and vegetables do not cope well with low temperatures. “Everything that comes from warm regions doesn’t like being in the fridge,” explains Arne Betzold from the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE). These include bananas and pineapples.
Some fruits and vegetables should also be kept out of the fridge. “Aubergines get brown cold spots when they are in the fridge,” says Betzold. Tomatoes, on the other hand, lose their flavor there — similar to pineapples.
According to the Federal Center for Nutrition (BZfE), cucumbers, peppers, and zucchini are also sensitive to the cold. If they are cooled, they should remain in the fridge for a maximum of one to three days and then be consumed quickly.
It’s Better to Store Potatoes and Onions Differently
Potatoes and onions also don’t belong in the vegetable drawer. As the BZfE explains, potatoes convert their starch into sugar at low temperatures, which makes them taste unintentionally sweet. Onions, on the other hand, tend to absorb moisture in the fridge, which reduces their shelf life and encourages mold. Both should, therefore, be kept in a cool, dark place such as the cellar.
These Foods Belong in the Vegetable Drawer
The vegetable drawer in the fridge is usually separated from the rest of the cooling area by a glass shelf, and the temperature there is around two to three degrees higher. It offers ideal storage conditions for certain types of fruit and vegetables.
For example, cauliflower, chicory, peas, green beans, spring onions, carrots, radishes, lettuce, celery, and asparagus are in good hands here. Some types of fruit, such as berries, cherries, grapes, apricots, and apples, also benefit from storage in the vegetable drawer – the latter, especially if they are to be kept for longer than seven days.
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Citrus Fruits Are Ambivalent
Although citrus fruits can be stored in the crisper, they only develop their full flavor at room temperature. So, if you want to enjoy the best flavor, you should store them outside the fridge for some time before eating them.
With material from dpa