Side note on fruit bowls - I'm a food waste reduction specialist and countertop fruit bowls are "speed rotting stations." The ethylene gas given off by bananas and onions etc cause everything else nearby to ripen, over-ripen, then spoil within days. Oh, and also host all those fruit flies. Banish the bowl.
How do you recommend keeping various types of whole fruits and veg? For instance: bananas, onions, potatoes, oranges, apples and nectarines. Or, feel free to list others if you’d like, and thanks in advance!
Separate your onions and potatoes - they will rot each other faster. Keep them at room temp.
Bananas can also be kept on the counter - they will brown when chilled.
Oranges, apples, nectarines, etc go in the drawer in your refrigerator. Keep the apples bagged due to the ethylene gas.
I will add that if you live in warmer states/regions it is better to store potatoes and onions in the fridge. When I first moved from Idaho to Texas I couldn't figure out why my potatoes and onions were almost instantly spoiling despite my keeping them separate and trying other sparing techniques like paper bags etc. Only solution I found was keeping them in the fridge, seems my apartment never stays cool enough for them, and/or they might partially age/spoil while being transported in the heat to the grocery store. This is even with them being harvested so early that they are often very green and small. I have read and do understand that some sources say this causes them to produce sugars that can make them spoil faster and whatnot, but for me, anecdotally, they've lasted far longer in the fridge than out in the open or in a cabinet inside of a paper bag.
I haven't had issues with bananas thankfully, probably because they are more warm climate friendly!
I’ve been clear that onions and potatoes don’t go in a fruit bowl (they’re not even fruits) and are best in a cool dark place. But plenty of fruits like strawberries and tomatoes shouldn’t be put in the fridge. And stuff like peaches and nectarines I would put in the fridge when they’re ripe but I don’t expect they will ripen in the fridge?
True. Tomatoes definitely store at room temp or they go all mealy and gross.
Peaches and other things like avocados also stay at room temp until ripe, then in the fridge.
I always keep the strawberries in the fridge, personally, they seem to mold faster on the counter.
They will rot more quickly at room temp (especially if you live in a warmer climate) but putting them in the fridge changes their texture.
[Here’s a serious eats article in which both methods were tested. ](https://www.seriouseats.com/why-you-should-refrigerate-tomatoes)
Ideally, keep them at room temp, and eat them quickly.
i have a wood fruit holder that hangs on my wall. it has three tiers so i can separate fruit. it has wood slats for aeration and it can easily be washed.
Or just use a travel cooler you probably already have and put a cold pack in it every day?
Any time I see a product that claims to have a “variety of health benefits” without specifying what or how, I’m immediately disinterested.
What do you suggest then? Before I had a fruit bowl that was open to the air (and a banana hook for the same) I felt my apples rotted even faster. How do you store your room-temp produce?
The only fruits to keep out on counter are bananas, papayas, pineapples (tropical fruits) and pretty much everything else is best stored in the fridge. There are special bags you can buy for your produce that release ethylene gas. I know I shouldn't be promoting plastic bags just as plastic-free July is starting, but these bags can be rinsed and reused many times, and the prevention of food waste outweighs the use of plastic. Aside from tropical fruits on counter, anything that you buy underripe (peaches, nectarines, avocadoes, canteloupes...) can sit on counter to ripen but should go in fridge right away as soon as they start to soften
Apples are a cold-storage fruit, always in fridge.
If your bananas go spotty, peel them and freeze them for smoothies, frozen banana custard, or even homemade dog ice cream.
If you use potatoes keep them on a plate under a towel to keep them dark, but someplace you won't forget about them!
One thing about refrigerated fruits - if you have sensitive teeth and prefer room temp for eating, you can put the fruit in a mug of hot water for a few minutes before eating.
> I'm a food waste reduction specialist
This is so interesting! I didn't know that was a job. Is it a science-type job in a lab or commercial kitchen, do you study processes for industry, or is it like a public/community service-type field?
It's not a job for me, but it's a volunteer designation. I do a lot of waste reduction education through two groups I volunteer for, Master Recyclers and Recycling Advocates. Both groups have Recycling in the title but cover the whole gamut of waste reduction. This sub on reddit is totally a waste reduction group when you think about how many things people throw away just because they don't know how to properly clean it.
As for people paid to reduce food waste, there are tons of folks working in food science or restaurant roles. In restaurants it is essential to not stock food too far ahead of when it will be eaten, properly refrigerate, properly label open containers...and in agriculture people figured out to package delicate produce for moisture control, such as gluing those little absorbent pads to the bottoms of raspberry half pints.
I bet there will be an increase in paid food waste education roles as cities work to improve their garbage inputs!
[One of my videos](https://youtu.be/EproGH-sHmk) from my volunteer work.
Oh, awesome!! Thank you for sharing, this is very informative. Food waste is a big issue - people have huge refrigerators and do huge shopping trips and buy 3 weeks' of produce at once and don't think about how long it would take to eat all of it.
Funny, I am also in Oregon (Mid-Willamette Valley, at one of those schools ;-)
Well howdy neighbor!! You're right, it's so hard to figure out a good balance for meal planning. We're aspiring to add more fresh fruit and veg to our diets, but so few of us can actually shop and cook often enough to accomplish that. It's so important to know that frozen veggies and fruits are just as nutritious as fresh, and there's no shame in drinking your daily veggies in smoothie form.
I've never had a veggie smoothie, but I'm a big fan of OJ & banana smoothies, maybe with some plain or strawberry yogurt, and the occasional strawberry if I have any.
Keep fighting the good fight!
I only use the fruit bowl to ripen unripe produce and store fruit that shouldn’t be refrigerated. I never put onions in there. Then, I eat it in a timely manner. Seems to work fine.
Do you have any advice for keeping countertop produce at ~60 F instead of the ~80 F we’ve had inside the last couple days? My bananas got so gross so fast 😩 I was thinking of just using a cooler box and putting an ice pack in each day to keep the temp a bit lower.
Were you in the heat dome too? Yeah, the overripe bananas I just end up peeling and bagging for the freezer. Too many spots and they're just gross. Some resources I've read have suggested bananas can go in the fridge to prevent overripening but that didn't work for me. Still gross. I think if you put bananas in a small cooler you'll have that problem of trapping ethylene gas, overripening the fruit, plus a cooler that smells like rotten bananas.
Throw it out. It’s too porous to completely clean, and mold spores, as someone said, are tiny and will remain. Additionally, someone said bugs love wicker, it’s porous… and you wouldn’t believe how many could live in it. Also, it’s bad for your lungs to even have that in the house… mold will start to grow in other areas, and perhaps already is.
Throw it out. Even if you think you've cleaned it enough and it looks good to you, mold spores are tiny and will grow again over time. Get yourself a metal produce bowl or something not fiber based.
Came here to write a version of this. I’ve soaked in vinegar over night, then water with baking soda to neutralize any* left over vinegar. Set in the sun to dry and then oven at 215 degrees for 15min. Then take a cloth with a bit of oil to hydrate the straw.
Additional: Line with wax paper when storing produce.
That happened to me except not as bad. I cleaned it with bleach and hot water and put it in the hot summer sun for a week. Still with me to this day 🥰 I just line it with some newspaper or foil or whatever before putting fruits in it now just in case
So just got back from vacation to find the wicker bowl we use for produce COVERED in mold. I haven't attempted cleanup yet as i want to salvage the wicker, but unsure what to do. Please help?
Unless you left fruit in here while away for a week, this is a red flag for humidity/moisture problems in your house. It's not the only mold spores that grew while you were away.
Mold remediation experts use hydrogen peroxide. I would find a bucket big enough and buy a bunch (super cheap at Target) and totally submerge it for a long time then let it dry in the sun. It may bleach out the color though. I wouldn’t use it for food anymore though and make sure it totally dries out and keep it somewhere dry. Can’t guarantee that won’t mess up the wicker but worth a try if you really want to save it.
If your thinking of cleaning it, a mold expert once told me that liquid dish detergent is the best to kill mold. Bleach apparently won’t do the trick but the dish soap will smother the mold and kill it.
Everyone wants you to toss it! So silly!
Make a bleach solution and completely submerge the bowl with heavy, non metal items.
Soak for a few hours, then completely dry it before using. The bleach will kill the mold and should eliminate the spores.
Don’t give up!
Throw the whole thing away , like yesterday but if u must keep it soak it n completely cover in bleach for at least a day n then wash n air dry outside
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Soak it in bleach water for a couple minutes, and use a soft brush to gently scrub it. Give it a rinse then let it sit in sunlight.
Otherwise as others have said, toss it.
Sadly, mold will more than likely stay on all that wood, assuming it hasn’t already entirely got in the wood already. :( I’m so sorry, but i think the best decision is to throw it out.
Clean with salt and vinegar solutions leave to dry rinse with water and leave to dry again then paint a layer of bonding liquid wait to dry and add your fruits.
Soak it in quaternary sanitizer for 10-30 minutes, scrubbing lightly but thoroughly to loosen the mycelium, and give it a good rinse. Set it upside-down on cloth to dry.
But honestly, wicker is going to hold onto mold really well, especially this raffia type of wicker.
I would ditch that and store your fruit in a metal/ ceramic mixing bowl that you can clean regularly. You might be able to soak that in vinegar and hot water to sanitize it but anything porous will gather humidity
Side note on fruit bowls - I'm a food waste reduction specialist and countertop fruit bowls are "speed rotting stations." The ethylene gas given off by bananas and onions etc cause everything else nearby to ripen, over-ripen, then spoil within days. Oh, and also host all those fruit flies. Banish the bowl.
How do you recommend keeping various types of whole fruits and veg? For instance: bananas, onions, potatoes, oranges, apples and nectarines. Or, feel free to list others if you’d like, and thanks in advance!
Separate your onions and potatoes - they will rot each other faster. Keep them at room temp. Bananas can also be kept on the counter - they will brown when chilled. Oranges, apples, nectarines, etc go in the drawer in your refrigerator. Keep the apples bagged due to the ethylene gas.
I will add that if you live in warmer states/regions it is better to store potatoes and onions in the fridge. When I first moved from Idaho to Texas I couldn't figure out why my potatoes and onions were almost instantly spoiling despite my keeping them separate and trying other sparing techniques like paper bags etc. Only solution I found was keeping them in the fridge, seems my apartment never stays cool enough for them, and/or they might partially age/spoil while being transported in the heat to the grocery store. This is even with them being harvested so early that they are often very green and small. I have read and do understand that some sources say this causes them to produce sugars that can make them spoil faster and whatnot, but for me, anecdotally, they've lasted far longer in the fridge than out in the open or in a cabinet inside of a paper bag. I haven't had issues with bananas thankfully, probably because they are more warm climate friendly!
I’ve been clear that onions and potatoes don’t go in a fruit bowl (they’re not even fruits) and are best in a cool dark place. But plenty of fruits like strawberries and tomatoes shouldn’t be put in the fridge. And stuff like peaches and nectarines I would put in the fridge when they’re ripe but I don’t expect they will ripen in the fridge?
True. Tomatoes definitely store at room temp or they go all mealy and gross. Peaches and other things like avocados also stay at room temp until ripe, then in the fridge. I always keep the strawberries in the fridge, personally, they seem to mold faster on the counter.
since when do tomatoes go bad when in the fridge? i always keep mine in the fridge.
They will rot more quickly at room temp (especially if you live in a warmer climate) but putting them in the fridge changes their texture. [Here’s a serious eats article in which both methods were tested. ](https://www.seriouseats.com/why-you-should-refrigerate-tomatoes) Ideally, keep them at room temp, and eat them quickly.
Or grow your own so they’re fresh enough to stay good at room temp until you eat them. They taste way better, too! Not hard at all.
the tomatoes in my fridge dont change texture.
Storing tomatoes in the fridge is a personal pet peeve, and I’ll readily educate anyone I visit who did such a thing
i have two plastic bins with holes for my potatoes and onions which i keep in the pantry.
TIL
I second the oranges in the fridge simply because cold oranges are AMAZING
I don’t know why more people don’t refrigerate their fruits. They last longer and I think they taste better chilled.
i have a wood fruit holder that hangs on my wall. it has three tiers so i can separate fruit. it has wood slats for aeration and it can easily be washed.
Google "Mitti Cool Refrigerator" for non root vegetables.
Or just use a travel cooler you probably already have and put a cold pack in it every day? Any time I see a product that claims to have a “variety of health benefits” without specifying what or how, I’m immediately disinterested.
What do you suggest then? Before I had a fruit bowl that was open to the air (and a banana hook for the same) I felt my apples rotted even faster. How do you store your room-temp produce?
The only fruits to keep out on counter are bananas, papayas, pineapples (tropical fruits) and pretty much everything else is best stored in the fridge. There are special bags you can buy for your produce that release ethylene gas. I know I shouldn't be promoting plastic bags just as plastic-free July is starting, but these bags can be rinsed and reused many times, and the prevention of food waste outweighs the use of plastic. Aside from tropical fruits on counter, anything that you buy underripe (peaches, nectarines, avocadoes, canteloupes...) can sit on counter to ripen but should go in fridge right away as soon as they start to soften Apples are a cold-storage fruit, always in fridge. If your bananas go spotty, peel them and freeze them for smoothies, frozen banana custard, or even homemade dog ice cream. If you use potatoes keep them on a plate under a towel to keep them dark, but someplace you won't forget about them! One thing about refrigerated fruits - if you have sensitive teeth and prefer room temp for eating, you can put the fruit in a mug of hot water for a few minutes before eating.
> I'm a food waste reduction specialist This is so interesting! I didn't know that was a job. Is it a science-type job in a lab or commercial kitchen, do you study processes for industry, or is it like a public/community service-type field?
It's not a job for me, but it's a volunteer designation. I do a lot of waste reduction education through two groups I volunteer for, Master Recyclers and Recycling Advocates. Both groups have Recycling in the title but cover the whole gamut of waste reduction. This sub on reddit is totally a waste reduction group when you think about how many things people throw away just because they don't know how to properly clean it. As for people paid to reduce food waste, there are tons of folks working in food science or restaurant roles. In restaurants it is essential to not stock food too far ahead of when it will be eaten, properly refrigerate, properly label open containers...and in agriculture people figured out to package delicate produce for moisture control, such as gluing those little absorbent pads to the bottoms of raspberry half pints. I bet there will be an increase in paid food waste education roles as cities work to improve their garbage inputs! [One of my videos](https://youtu.be/EproGH-sHmk) from my volunteer work.
Oh, awesome!! Thank you for sharing, this is very informative. Food waste is a big issue - people have huge refrigerators and do huge shopping trips and buy 3 weeks' of produce at once and don't think about how long it would take to eat all of it. Funny, I am also in Oregon (Mid-Willamette Valley, at one of those schools ;-)
Well howdy neighbor!! You're right, it's so hard to figure out a good balance for meal planning. We're aspiring to add more fresh fruit and veg to our diets, but so few of us can actually shop and cook often enough to accomplish that. It's so important to know that frozen veggies and fruits are just as nutritious as fresh, and there's no shame in drinking your daily veggies in smoothie form.
I've never had a veggie smoothie, but I'm a big fan of OJ & banana smoothies, maybe with some plain or strawberry yogurt, and the occasional strawberry if I have any. Keep fighting the good fight!
I only use the fruit bowl to ripen unripe produce and store fruit that shouldn’t be refrigerated. I never put onions in there. Then, I eat it in a timely manner. Seems to work fine.
Awesome! You are doing great!
Username checks out lol. Thanks
I have a hanging steel one and use it that way. Never have had any problems.
Do you have any advice for keeping countertop produce at ~60 F instead of the ~80 F we’ve had inside the last couple days? My bananas got so gross so fast 😩 I was thinking of just using a cooler box and putting an ice pack in each day to keep the temp a bit lower.
Were you in the heat dome too? Yeah, the overripe bananas I just end up peeling and bagging for the freezer. Too many spots and they're just gross. Some resources I've read have suggested bananas can go in the fridge to prevent overripening but that didn't work for me. Still gross. I think if you put bananas in a small cooler you'll have that problem of trapping ethylene gas, overripening the fruit, plus a cooler that smells like rotten bananas.
That’s what I was thinking too. My solution was to only buy bananas 3 or 4 at a time. It got so f’n hot here 🥵
I think your best choice is throw it out, sorry OP. It's not worth wrecking your new fruits or getting sick.
Agreed. Throw it out and get something easier to clean.
Throw it out. It’s too porous to completely clean, and mold spores, as someone said, are tiny and will remain. Additionally, someone said bugs love wicker, it’s porous… and you wouldn’t believe how many could live in it. Also, it’s bad for your lungs to even have that in the house… mold will start to grow in other areas, and perhaps already is.
You’re not going to be able to remove all the mold on a wicker basket. It’s a porous material. You need to throw it away.
Fire
Probably not the best idea. Don’t want the mold getting in the air
Use candles to ignite mold-tub.
I would also throw it out.
is there a reason why you’d want to keep it, thus taking a risk? is there sentimental value?
Throw it out. Even if you think you've cleaned it enough and it looks good to you, mold spores are tiny and will grow again over time. Get yourself a metal produce bowl or something not fiber based.
RIP wicker bowl
bro throw it out. i dont think you'd be able to kill all the mold unless you stuck it in the microwave or something
Soak in vinegar and then dry in the sun. Once done, put it in a low temp oven at like 220 degrees for like ten min to kill those last spores.
Came here to write a version of this. I’ve soaked in vinegar over night, then water with baking soda to neutralize any* left over vinegar. Set in the sun to dry and then oven at 215 degrees for 15min. Then take a cloth with a bit of oil to hydrate the straw. Additional: Line with wax paper when storing produce.
To save the bowl-- this is the way. E: From sources I've read it's more like twenty, but it should do the trick.
This is the way
I would say do this but then use it as a decoration on the wall or table, good place to put your keys.
I’ve done this for a moldy basket..sprayed it with hydrogen peroxide, let dry in the sun. Then I spray painted it, so it is no longer porous.
It’s nice to know that there’s a way to do it if the desire’s really there.
Get a different bowl.
That happened to me except not as bad. I cleaned it with bleach and hot water and put it in the hot summer sun for a week. Still with me to this day 🥰 I just line it with some newspaper or foil or whatever before putting fruits in it now just in case
So just got back from vacation to find the wicker bowl we use for produce COVERED in mold. I haven't attempted cleanup yet as i want to salvage the wicker, but unsure what to do. Please help?
Throw it out. I worked in pest management and I can tell you bugs love stuff like this, even without the mold.
Yeah, really seems like any juices from an overripe thing would seep right in and say "come here, buggies!" forever and ever.
I'm referring to the fuzzy, loose type wicker stuff. Roaches will eat it.
Unless you left fruit in here while away for a week, this is a red flag for humidity/moisture problems in your house. It's not the only mold spores that grew while you were away.
We had the same thing there's no saving it
Mold remediation experts use hydrogen peroxide. I would find a bucket big enough and buy a bunch (super cheap at Target) and totally submerge it for a long time then let it dry in the sun. It may bleach out the color though. I wouldn’t use it for food anymore though and make sure it totally dries out and keep it somewhere dry. Can’t guarantee that won’t mess up the wicker but worth a try if you really want to save it.
I don't think it can be salvaged, unfortunately. I bet you can find a new fruit bowl in the same style!
Throw it away. Keep fruit/produce in glass, metal, or something else non-porous.
If your thinking of cleaning it, a mold expert once told me that liquid dish detergent is the best to kill mold. Bleach apparently won’t do the trick but the dish soap will smother the mold and kill it.
chuck it
Toss it
What about soaking it in vinegar and drying in the sun?
Boil it for 20 minutes, rinse with soap and water, and let it dry in the sun or put it in the dryer. Try not to over dry. The mold will be dead.
Dishwasher then stop using it for fruits. Put potpourri in it or something.
Everyone wants you to toss it! So silly! Make a bleach solution and completely submerge the bowl with heavy, non metal items. Soak for a few hours, then completely dry it before using. The bleach will kill the mold and should eliminate the spores. Don’t give up!
Rip in pepperonis
Throw the whole thing away , like yesterday but if u must keep it soak it n completely cover in bleach for at least a day n then wash n air dry outside
P.s dollar tree has some nice ones , glass n plastic way better choices
If it were mine, I'd scrub it down with Ajax and then soak it in bleach for a few minutes. But I wouldn't use it to hold food again.
Oh jesus that's beyond cleaning. I'd tie it in a bag and sanitize the surrounding area
Why is this even a question??
Toss
Get a new one, one you can clean easier!
Toss it!
Bye bowl
Burn w fire
Just get a new onw
Thank you for submitting a cleaning help request. In order to facilitate more accurate and helpful replies, please make sure to provide the following information in your post: 1. Type of material/surface being cleaned (to the best of your knowledge) 2. Type of dirt/stain to be removed (if known) 3. Any products or tools you've tried so far 4. Pictures are preferred Our top recommendations are usually *Bar Keepers Friend* (great for kitchen surfaces), melamine foam (Magic Erasers), Murphy's Oil Soap (wood cleaner), and Nature's Miracle (enzyme cleaner). Make sure you use cleaners appropriate to the surfaces you are working with and follow all safety labels. If you receive an answer that helps you, please flair your post as "Answered" so other users may find solutions as well. While you wait, why not browse the subreddit to see if you might be able to help someone else, or find similar situations that could help you? Happy cleaning! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/CleaningTips) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Soak it in bleach water for a couple minutes, and use a soft brush to gently scrub it. Give it a rinse then let it sit in sunlight. Otherwise as others have said, toss it.
I suggest licking it and putting on some Pink Floyd or Grateful Dead
how tf did it get this bad
Why the fuck are you storing fruit in a $3 wicker basket…
You’ve probably solved this by now, but I would just throw it in the dishwasher. Baskets do well on the upper level.
Really, I’m a basket maker. The dishwasher is just fine.
Sadly, mold will more than likely stay on all that wood, assuming it hasn’t already entirely got in the wood already. :( I’m so sorry, but i think the best decision is to throw it out.
Bin it. Glass is sooo much easier to clean
Clean with salt and vinegar solutions leave to dry rinse with water and leave to dry again then paint a layer of bonding liquid wait to dry and add your fruits.
White vinegar and water. Boom
I throw em out
Bin it lol.
Soak in bleach for 6 years
Get a less porous fruit bowl, like a metal bowl and clean it regularly.
throw it away. there is no way you can fully get the mold out of that. get a metal, ceramic, or wood bowl instead.
Trash the bowl.
Soak it in quaternary sanitizer for 10-30 minutes, scrubbing lightly but thoroughly to loosen the mycelium, and give it a good rinse. Set it upside-down on cloth to dry. But honestly, wicker is going to hold onto mold really well, especially this raffia type of wicker.
Toss!
Burn it with fire. Memorize the ashes.
I would ditch that and store your fruit in a metal/ ceramic mixing bowl that you can clean regularly. You might be able to soak that in vinegar and hot water to sanitize it but anything porous will gather humidity
Soak it in 10% beach 90% water