Picking the Best Fridge Storage Containers for Produce and Herbs

A Mexican kitchen goes through fresh produce fast, and loses a surprising amount of it in the fridge. The cilantro turns to slime in its grocery bag, the romaine for the tacos goes limp, the half a cabbage for the pozole garnish dries out, and the leftover guacamole is brown by morning. Most of that is a storage problem, not a shopping problem.

This guide is about one kind of fridge container: produce keepers with vents, baskets or water reservoirs, plus one airtight keeper for guacamole. It sits under our broader fridge organizers guide, which covers bins, turntables and drink holders; none of its picks are repeated here as the same product. For leftovers and meal prep, see our guides to food storage containers and glass food storage containers. Where a maker claims its container keeps food fresh longer, we say it is the maker’s claim, and the storage advice comes from the FDA and university extension services.

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Quick verdict: which fridge storage containers to buy

The table below lines up the five standout picks. All seven containers are reviewed in full after it.

Five produce keepers side by side

One pick for each job in the fridge, with the features each listing states.

Product images from Amazon. Sizes and features are as stated on each listing; check the listing before you buy.

Our picks for the best fridge storage containers

These seven containers cover the produce a Mexican home kitchen keeps on hand: lettuce and cabbage for tacos and pozole, cilantro and parsley, small chiles and tomatoes, berries, and a batch of guacamole. Each pick lists the same eight specifications, taken from the Amazon listing; where a listing is silent we write “Not stated.”

How to choose fridge storage containers for produce

Match the container to the produce. Leafy greens and cabbage want a long bin with a raised basket. Tender herbs want their stems in water: Penn State Extension recommends trimming the stems, standing herbs in about an inch of water, covering them loosely and changing the water every day, and says they may keep up to a week that way. Small chiles and berries want a smaller bin so they do not get lost. Guacamole wants an airtight lid.

Keep ethylene producers apart. University of Illinois Extension advises storing ethylene-producing produce, such as apples, melons and tomatoes, separately from ethylene-sensitive produce such as peppers, green beans, cucumbers and lettuce, and storing similar produce together in the crisper drawers. Separate containers make that easy: tomatoes in one, lettuce and peppers in others.

Know what stays out of the fridge. Not everything belongs in a container in the fridge. University of Illinois Extension says basil is best held in a glass of water at room temperature, because refrigeration discolors the leaves.

Mind the temperature and the raw meat. The FDA says perishable produce such as strawberries, lettuce, herbs and mushrooms should be kept at 40°F or below, that all pre-cut or packaged produce should be refrigerated, and that fruits and vegetables eaten raw should be kept separate from raw meat, poultry and seafood. A lidded produce container on a shelf above the raw meat does that job well.

Decide on washing. The FDA advises washing produce under running water before preparing or eating it. Some makers of vented containers advise storing produce unwashed, so read the instructions that come with yours. If you do rinse ahead, a container with a draining basket or colander base keeps the produce out of standing water.

Check cleaning and fit. Look for a stated size so the container fits your shelf, and for dishwasher-safe parts if you will wash it often. The ProKeeper, PrepSolutions and guacamole containers are listed as dishwasher safe; the OXO and Cole & Mason listings do not say.

How we picked these seven produce keepers

We did not use these containers ourselves. We searched Amazon for produce keepers, herb keepers and vented fridge containers from identifiable makers, kept only those listed as in stock (not “only a few left”) when we checked, and left out unbranded multi-packs. We dropped the exact products already in our fridge organizers, egg organizer and food storage container guides. A single Rubbermaid FreshWorks container we first included was dropped when its stock ran low.

We looked for Tupperware FridgeSmart containers, but every listing we found showed limited stock or none, and we could not find a Prep Naturals produce container that matched the brand clearly, so neither is here. Every specification comes from the Amazon listing, and every freshness claim is attributed to its maker. Storage advice comes from the FDA, Penn State Extension and University of Illinois Extension. We also searched the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s recall listings for OXO, Progressive, Rubbermaid and Cole & Mason and found no recall for any of these containers.

Produce container questions, answered

Do produce saver containers really keep vegetables fresh longer?

The makers say so, and the features they use, raised baskets, vents and water reservoirs, address moisture and airflow. No maker’s freshness figure here has been independently confirmed by us, so treat numbers like Cole & Mason’s “up to 10 days” as claims. Good habits from extension services, such as separating ethylene producers from sensitive produce, matter as much as the container.

What is the best way to store cilantro in the fridge?

Stems in water, leaves loosely covered. Penn State Extension recommends trimming the stems, standing the herbs in about an inch of water, covering loosely and changing the water daily, and says herbs may keep up to a week. An herb keeper such as the OXO or Cole & Mason does the same job with less mess.

Should I wash produce before putting it in a container?

The FDA advises washing produce before preparing or eating it. Some makers of vented containers advise storing produce unwashed, so follow the instructions for yours. If you do rinse first, drain it well and use a container with a basket or colander base.

How do I keep guacamole from turning brown in the fridge?

Limit its contact with air. An airtight container such as the ProKeeper is designed for that, and its maker says it keeps guacamole fresh for up to a week. Keep it at 40°F or below, as the FDA advises for perishable food.

Can tomatoes and lettuce share a container?

Better not. University of Illinois Extension lists tomatoes as ethylene producers and lettuce and peppers as ethylene sensitive, and advises storing the two groups separately.

Our final pick for keeping produce fresh

Start with the OXO Good Grips Produce Saver Large Bin for lettuce and cabbage, and add the OXO Herb Keeper if cilantro is a weekly purchase. Choose the Progressive ProKeeper set to equip a whole produce drawer, and the ProKeeper guacamole container if taco night ends with leftovers. For bins, turntables and the rest of the fridge, see our fridge organizers guide, and for eggs, our fridge egg organizer picks.

Fresh cilantro and onion are the backbone of a good salsa; our guide to salsa roja and salsa verde shows where they go, and Mexican herbs explained covers the rest of the bunch. If you would rather someone else did the chopping, see the menu and call to order.