So store eggplant in a cool place, a vegetable platter on the counter, in the pantry, on the balcony. The same holds true for pineapple, avocado, banana, pumpkin, etc.

How to store apples, plums, peaches and pears? Leave them alone

Not all fruits are sociable. Apples, plums, peaches and pears emit ethylene gas that kick starts the ripening process of all other fruit. Bananas and cucumbers are especially susceptible to ethylene. So, if you want a crisp banana in your banana split, keep it away from the other fruit. You might find a little rhyme useful to remember this: Apples, peaches, plums, and pears should not with other fruit be paired. Apples, peaches, plums, and pears should not with other fruit be paired.

How to get crisp stemmed vegetables? Put them in water

It sounds crazy to have your counter is overflowing with leek, celery, scallions and other vegetables with stalks in vases. Water helps vegetables retain water, preserving both the juice and the potency until they’re chopped and ready to use.

How to store your citrus fruits? Sour outside, sweet inside

Oranges, tangerines and clementines prefer cool surroundings, ideally between 2-5 ˚ C. Lemons and grapefruits get refrigeration damage and therefore prefer being kept at 10-15 ˚ C. Lime has a foot in both camps and prefer temperatures at 8-10 ˚C. Confused? Remember the following rule of thumb: The sweet members of the family we invite in (the refrigerator), the sour ones, we leave outside.