How To Use The Crisper Drawer In Your Refrigerator

Using this compartment correctly can keep your produce fresher for longer.

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If space is an issue, you may sometimes find yourself stocked with cans of soda, beer, or even bottles of wine in the crisper drawer, but then where does that leave your produce? It's not just a storage drawer. The crisper drawer plays an important role in keeping food fresh, so it's not the place to stash a case of drinks or extra items. Your refrigerator's crisper drawer exists for a reason, and knowing how to use it will help you keep fresh fruits and vegetables around longer and cut down on unnecessary food waste. Here's what to put in your crisper drawer and how to use its settings.

Often just called a crisper, a crisper drawer is typically an actual drawer in your fridge that is meant to make produce last longer. This special compartment has a humidity level that’s different from the rest of the fridge, and this humidity (adjusted higher or lower, depending on the item) helps maintain fruits’ and vegetables’ freshness. However, some produce items fare best when left out of the fridge.

Most refrigerators actually have two side-by-side crisper drawers: one for fruits and one for vegetables. The humidity is adjusted according to the food items being stored. However, in fridges with only one drawer, the default setting is usually high humidity.

Some crisper drawers can be adjusted to prevent the loss of moisture from produce to stop it from wilting or turning quickly. Certain fridges have crispers that allow for the escape of ethylene gas which, when released by some fruits, causes them to rot more quickly.

The crisper drawer should be reserved for fresh produce. Apples, pears, mangoes, cantaloupes, and other thick-skinned produce belong in a drawer that has been set to low humidity. These fruits produce ethylene gas which leads to rotting if it doesn’t have the chance to escape. Placing your fresh bag of farmers market apples on the same shelf as your cold cuts and cheese means the ethylene gas emitted has nowhere to go and will cause the fruit to have a very short shelf life.

Thin-skinned and leafy food items that can wilt due to moisture loss thrive in high humidity zones, including leafy greens such as spinach, arugula, red and green leaf lettuce, Swiss chard, bok choy, and fresh green herbs. Vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, and green beans also do well in a high humidity crisper drawer. Some fruits also prefer a high humidity environment, such as strawberries, watermelons, and unripe bananas.

By placing the appropriate items in the distinct low- and high-humidity drawers or compartments, you will prolong their shelf life and avoid food waste. Most drawers contain humidity vents that can be adjusted based on how humid you want the drawer to be. Remember, use high humidity for thin-skinned vegetables and certain fruits that will suffer from other fruits' ethylene gas emissions.

If your fridge has these two compartments, decide which one will be the high-humidity drawer and which will be the low. This way, you can avoid making the mistake of placing the wrong items in the drawers.

When you turn the humidity up in the drawer you’re designating as high humidity, typically a window closes completely to allow the produce to thrive in that environment. This keeps moisture from evaporating. Adjusting the other drawer to lower its humidity opens a window in the drawer. This allows the ethylene gas to escape and gives the fruit a chance for a longer, fresher shelf life.

The most important thing to remember is what items are sensitive to ethylene. Second to that is how you stock the drawers themselves. Besides taking care to put the appropriate items in their respective low- and high-humidity drawers, be careful not to overcrowd or overstuff the drawers. A crisper drawer jam-packed with produce can result in blocked vents and a general lack of airflow.

The drawers also shouldn't be almost empty. They are at their peak performance when they’re about two-thirds full, so try not to let them get too bare if possible.

Frozen fruits or vegetables are a sign that your fridge’s overall temperature is too low, and you should adjust this setting to ensure the freshness of your produce.

Get the most out of your crisper drawers by placing the freshest items in the back. Items that expire sooner should be near the front so you can take stock of what needs to be used. Heavy produce like cauliflower and melons should go on the bottom, with fragile items on top. If you don’t have enough produce to fill a drawer, use one to keep meat and poultry cold. Just make sure to clean it before using it for produce again. If you have too much produce to fit in the drawers, place items that don’t need moisture in the main part of the fridge—low humidity items like fruits can be stored here.

Many refrigerators have two crisper drawers so you can separate items by low and high humidity. If your refrigerator has only one crisper drawer, it is meant for high humidity items, those thin-skinned veggies and leafy greens. Items that emit ethylene gas should be stored in another part of the refrigerator.