Reducing Food Waste at Home: Getting the Most Out of Your Produce

Check out our simple tips for keeping your produce fresher for longer—so you can savor every bite, waste less, and get the most from every grocery haul.

At New Seasons Market, we love the crisp crunch of just-picked apples, the green goodness of fresh broccoli, and the creamy perfection of ripe avocados—and we’re just as passionate about preventing food waste.

When food goes uneaten, it wastes not only money—an average of $1,600 per Oregon household each year—but also the water, energy, and labor it took to grow it.

That’s why we’re sharing practical, easy-to-follow storage tips to help you get the most from every apple, head of broccoli, and avocado you bring home. By keeping them fresh and at their best, you’ll stretch your grocery dollars, cut down on waste, and make sure all the resources that went into growing your food are honored—right down to the very last bite.

Keep Your Apples Crisp

Nothing beats apple season in the Pacific Northwest. The secret to the best bite? Freshness. Here are a few tips to keep your apples at their peak:

• Store them in the fridge for up to eight weeks of freshness—compared to just a week on the counter
  
• Apples naturally give off ethylene gas, which speeds up ripening in other produce. Keep them separate from other fruits and veggies
  
• If one gets bruised, eat it soon and keep it away from the rest—one bad apple really can spoil the bunch!

Keep Your Florets Fresh

Broccoli likes it cold, slightly damp, and with plenty of air circulation. In the fridge, it’ll last up to a week if you: 

• Wrap it in a slightly damp towel before storing
  
• Stand it up in a glass of water, flower-vase style, so that air can circulate around the head

Keep Your Avocados at Their Best

From dips to salads and toast, avocados are a versatile favorite, delicious in many applications. Here’s how to keep them ripe and ready: 

• Let them ripen on the counter
  
• Keep them away from apples and bananas
  
• Store them out of direct sunlight—they love the dark
  
• Once ripe, pop them in the fridge to keep them fresh for a few extra days

Here’s to enjoying your apples, broccoli, and avocados at their freshest and most flavorful!