How to store cranberries

How to tell cranberries have gone bad

General signs for produce: fresh fruits, the group USDA lists cranberries under.

• Soft, mushy spots that were firm a day or two before
• Visible mould, often fuzzy white, green or grey
• Leaking juice or a fermented, alcohol-like smell
• Wrinkled, shriveled skin on fruit that used to be firm
• Sour smell replacing a fruit's normal sweet scent

More on produce: fresh fruits. The times above are quality guidelines, not safety limits; food that shows these signs goes out regardless of the date.

Storage habits that make the difference

Keep most fruit in the fridge's crisper drawer, but leave bananas, avocados and stone fruit on the counter until ripe. Store ethylene-sensitive fruit, like berries, away from apples and bananas to slow ripening. Wash fruit just before eating, not before storing, since early washing speeds up spoilage.