This Is the Best Way to Store Fresh Herbs and Produce

The hot weather means that no matter if you have an unruly garden or love a weekend farmers market trip, you’ll be overrun with fresh herbs, tomatoes, zucchini, and peppers soon enough. But summer’s bounty can easily lead to slimy basil, rotten berries, and wasted money. Sure, you can make a quick pickle to save your dill, but herb keepers and produce savers can help you save your groceries and your money.

Amazon’s Best Herb Keepers and Produce Savers

Prepara Herb Savor Eco

While you can store your herbs in a ziplock with a damp paper towel—after washing them, of course—seeing your herbs and produce in all its glory is the best way to ensure that you’ll actually use them before they go bad. The Prepara Herb Savor sits in the very front of your fridge to remind you that you still have a half bunch of cilantro to get through. To keep your produce verdant, add water through the spout every three to five days. (Be careful to empty that water before opening it.)

The Prepara works by keeping the herbs upright with the stems in water. The enclosed clear case serves two life-extending purposes: to protect the leaves from bruising and to keep some humidity swirling around the herbs. Unlike the damp paper towel method, this herb keeper can work with anything from delicate tarragon to hardy rosemary, and is even useful for small asparagus stalks. 

Rubbermaid 4-Piece FreshWorks Produce Saver Set

Herb savers won’t work with your summertime fruit and vegetables, so that’s when you need to turn to produce and fruit savers, like Rubbermaid’s FreshWorks. Unlike your typical food storage containers, these feature a filtered vent in the lid to let air circulate around your peppers and lettuce. Meanwhile, the raised bottom of the container keeps your produce away from any moisture that may form. We like that Rubbermaid designed all the Freshworks produce savers so they can stack together for a clean and organized fridge. The dishwasher-safe containers are easy to clean, should anything turn from fresh to slimy.

Prepara Stainless Steel Herb Savor

This herb keeper is the deluxe version of the Prepara Herb Savor Eco, even though it’s currently a dollar cheaper. It features a stainless steel, water-well base (instead of white plastic), but since there isn’t a built-in spout, you have to open up the herb keeper when adding water. Another key difference is that this version has internal support to help keep your cilantro upright, with the ends in the water.

OXO Good Grips GreenSaver Herb Keeper

One thing the OXO GreenSaver Herb Keeper does well is make it easy to grab clean herbs. The 1.8-quart container fits easily on your fridge door, and you just pop the lid to get what you need for dinner. The hinged internal basket allows any water droplets to collect at the bottom, while also letting that moisture circulate around the herbs. The basket also features a top handle, which is helpful for rinsing fresh herbs or when you need to bring your ingredients out to the grill.

​​Progressive International Prepworks 3-Quart Produce ProKeeper

Different fruits and vegetables need different storing methods, which is why the Progressive International Prepworks ProKeeper features a stay-fresh guide on the lid. It covers the usual suspects (carrots, celery, grapes, cut fruit, etc), letting you know if you should keep the side vents open for airflow and/or water in the reservoir base. That base is removable, so the ProKeeper can double as a colander, and everything’s dishwasher-safe.

Novart XXL Herb Keeper and Herb Saver

The Novart XXL glass herb saver is made for anyone who regularly has bunches and bunches of herbs in their fridge. The 12.2-inch height makes this ideal for any tall produce, including scallions and long peppers, and the 4.7-inch diameter means it can hold a lot at once. The top handle makes it easy to lift the bottom basket, which has a marking for the maximum water level. The lid also features multiple air vents and side supports that can latch onto the glass’s rim.

Luxear 5-Piece Produce Keeper Set

Berries, cherries, and grapes truly benefit from specialized produce containers, and the Luxear produce keeper set can help keep all of them from going bad within days. Each container features a slotted internal basket that can double as a colander, making it easy to swirl fruit around in a vinegar bath. Just be sure to dry your produce before storing, since the airtight lids don’t feature vents, though they do feature handles for taking snacks on the go.