How To Correctly Store Sliced Tomatoes, Onions, And Cucumbers

Tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers have discrete properties that make them tricky to store. Once they’re sliced, things get even trickier, and proper storage becomes crucial.

Sliced tomatoes dry out and shrivel at room temperature, so refrigerating them is the only option. However, your fridge can degrade the fruit's texture so use them within two days.

Make sure to only cut as many slices as you need, leave the remnant of the tomato in one piece, cover the cut side with plastic wrap, and store it in an airtight container.

Cut onions must be refrigerated, but they can infect other items with their odor. To prevent that, put cut onions in a plastic bag, and then put the bag in an airtight container.

Stored like this, cut onions can last about a week in the fridge. Note that you can keep them in the freezer for up to a few months, but they will lose their crispness when thawed.

Cut cucumbers should always be kept in the fridge, but they’re also sensitive to extreme cold. Hence, it's best to store them near the front of the fridge or in a crisper drawer.

To prevent moisture loss, cover cut cucumbers with water in a container and seal it. They can last a week in the fridge this way, and it helps to change the water every two days.

Store cut cucumbers away from ethylene-emitting produce (to keep them from ripening and spoiling faster) and items with strong odors (to keep them from absorbing unwanted smells).