5 Ways to Keep Vegetables Fresh for a Week

Buying vegetables once a week saves money and trips to the market — but only if they actually last the week. Here are five tricks our staff swear by.

1. Dry everything before it goes in the fridge

Moisture is the enemy. Wipe down coriander, spinach and other leafy greens with a clean cotton cloth, then wrap them loosely in a dry kitchen towel or newspaper before refrigerating. Damp leaves turn to mush in two days; dry ones stay crisp for six.

2. Keep onions and potatoes OUT of the fridge

Store them in a cool, dark basket with airflow — never in plastic bags, and never together. Onions release gases that make potatoes sprout faster.

3. Treat tomatoes like fruit

Ripe tomatoes keep their taste best on the counter, stem-side down. Move them to the fridge only once they are fully ripe and you need two or three more days.

4. Give greens a water bath revival

Curry leaves, mint and coriander wilting by day four? Snip the stems and stand them in a glass of water like flowers, cover loosely with a plastic bag, and refrigerate. They perk right back up.

5. Use the crisper drawer properly

The bottom drawer is designed for vegetables — it holds humidity. Keep fruit out of it (many fruits release ripening gases) and don't overpack it; air needs to circulate.

Follow these five habits and your Sunday haul will still look fresh on Friday — which means less waste and a lower grocery bill every month.