What Is a Fridge's Crisper Drawer and How Should You Use It?

The crisper drawer is one of the most useful but least understood features of a modern fridge. Here's what it's designed to do and how to use it properly to keep your fresh produce lasting longer.

What Is a Crisper Drawer?

A crisper drawer (also called a salad drawer, humidity drawer or vegetable drawer) is a compartment at the bottom of the fridge designed to maintain a higher level of humidity than the main fridge compartment. This slows the wilting and deterioration of fresh fruit and vegetables.

Why Do Fruit and Vegetables Need Different Humidity?

Fresh produce loses moisture to the surrounding air. At low humidity, water evaporates from cells quickly, causing wilting. At high humidity, moisture is retained and produce stays firm for longer. However, too much humidity can cause mould and rot.

High Humidity vs Low Humidity Drawers

Many fridges have two separate crisper drawers with adjustable humidity sliders:

• High humidity drawer (closed vent): Best for vegetables that wilt quickly — leafy greens, broccoli, carrots, celery, capsicum, herbs. The closed vent traps moisture.
• Low humidity drawer (open vent): Best for fruits that emit ethylene gas (apples, pears, peaches, avocados, stone fruit). Ethylene accelerates ripening in nearby produce; the open vent allows it to escape.

If your fridge only has one crisper drawer, use it primarily for vegetables. Store fruit in the main fridge compartment, away from vegetables that are sensitive to ethylene.

What Shouldn't Go in the Crisper?

• Bananas — they produce high ethylene and go brown in the fridge. Store at room temperature.
• Tomatoes — cold temperatures affect their flavour. Store on the bench until ripe, then briefly refrigerate if needed.
• Potatoes and onions — store in a cool, dark cupboard, not the fridge.
• Garlic — best stored at room temperature in a ventilated space.

Maintaining Your Crisper Drawer

Wipe out the crisper drawer monthly with a damp cloth. Remove any produce that has started to decay — ethylene and mould spores spread quickly in an enclosed drawer and accelerate deterioration of everything nearby.

Upgrading Your Fridge

Premium fridges from Fisher & Paykel, Samsung and LG include multi-zone humidity drawers, dedicated temperature zones and air filtration to extend produce life further. Browse our fridge range at Oceania Appliances.