If you’ve tried storing fruits and vegetables on refrigerator shelves you may have noticed they wilt or spoil rather quickly. Where do you put produce in the refrigerator so it stays fresher, longer? The crisper drawers can provide the right environment to keep fruits and vegetables fresh. Learn what food goes in crisper drawers and how to set and adjust them to eliminate waste and maximize freshness.
Determining What Food Goes in Crisper Drawers
While crisper drawers were designed to store produce, certain fruits and vegetables benefit from specific crisper drawer settings. Before we answer what food goes in crisper drawers, we’ll detail how to set and adjust your drawers for different types of produce.
FAQ #1: What Are The Ideal Crisper Drawer Settings?
Crisper drawers enhance the freshness of produce by controlling the level of humidity in the air. Certain fruits and vegetables require a more humid environment to stay fresh, while others are best preserved in low humidity. So, what should crisper drawers be set at to enhance preservation? Ideally, keeping one drawer on a high humidity setting and the other set to low humidity will keep specific produce fresher, longer.
FAQ #2: How Do I Adjust the Crisper Drawers in My Refrigerator?
If certain fruits and vegetables are best stored in specific environments, how do you adjust the crisper drawers on a refrigerator as needed? The humidity levels on most crisper drawers are easily adjusted by moving their sliding tab up or down. Sliding the tab up closes the vent that allows air to flow, creating a more humid environment. Sliding it down opens the vent, permitting airflow and creating less humidity.
FAQ #3: What Food Goes in Crisper Drawers?
Typically, vegetables that wilt easily should be in a high-humidity environment while fruits prone to rotting should be stored in low humidity settings. This is because some fruits emanate ethylene gas as they age, hastening rotting and spoilage. Keeping them in a low humidity environment allows the gas to escape, preserving freshness. Separating items that are sensitive to ethylene gas in a high-humidity drawer prolongs their freshness.
This list of what food goes in crisper drawers can keep specific items fresher, longer:
High-Humidity Drawer:
- Asparagus
- Broccoli
- Cucumbers
- Green beans
- Kale
- Lettuce
- Strawberries
- Watermelon
Low-Humidity Drawer:
- Apples
- Avocados
- Cantaloupe
- Kiwi
- Mangoes
- Pears
- Peaches
- Plums
Here are some great tips from Boston local Kay with The Organized Soprano. In this video, she covers refrigerator organization ideas that will help make this high humidity/low humidity concept make so much more sense!
FAQ #4: Why is My Refrigerator Crisper Drawer Freezing Food?
Finding frozen produce in crisper drawers is a common problem. Fortunately, troubleshooting involves straightforward causes with simple solutions.
The following issues can result in food freezing in the crisper drawer:
- Refrigerator temperature is too high: If the refrigerator’s internal temperature is above 38℉, crisper drawer fans may have to run constantly to maintain their settings. This can create drawer temperatures that are too cold, freezing food. Aim to keep your refrigerator between 35-38℉ so drawer fans run properly.
- Refrigerator door left open: When warm air enters the refrigerator it increases the internal temperature, prompting the drawer fans to compensate by running constantly. Always make sure the doors close completely and open them for as little time as possible when replacing and retrieving items.
- Dirty condenser coils: Condenser coils remove heat from the refrigerant, keeping the refrigerator cool. If the coils are dirty, the refrigerator must work harder to maintain its temperature, prompting drawer fans to run excessively. Cleaning the coils can restore proper temperatures both in the refrigerator and its drawers.
The experts at Same Day Service Company can address any refrigerator problem. From what food goes in crisper drawers to pinpointing the right repair, we have the answers!
