Why You May Want To Skip Fresh Produce From Costco

Shoppers like Costco because it offers significant value and quality for a wide variety of products, from cheap rotisserie chickens to high-quality cheeses, frozen foods, prepackaged meals, and more. One Costco staple you might not want to take advantage of is the produce section.

While every Costco offers a variety of vegetables and fruits in-store, some customers have reported that their greens are deteriorating earlier than usual lately. A Reddit thread on r/Costco asks shoppers whether they've had their Costco produce expire early recently, and the responses rolled in, with over 196 comments discussing the phenomenon and plenty of users giving their own experiences. The thread creator noted that everything from peaches to salad greens went bad as quickly as two to three days after purchase.

This isn't the first time Costco shoppers have complained about disappointment over produce quality. Fans of the store have been calling its produce "hit or miss" for years. Overall, Costco's produce seems to be one of the chain's weaker offerings in terms of food selections, with a lot of inconsistency between and even within stores.

Costco has previously been under fire by fans for similar produce-related problems. Another Reddit thread popped up in 2022, with the original poster stating that vegetables like potatoes were going rotten far before their expiry date. While plenty of customers had their own theories about why Costco's produce goes bad so quickly, there was no definitive answer.

Costco's groceries, much like its other products, are typically sold in bulk — that means getting double the amount of kale, grapes, or other fruits and veggies you'd usually be buying at one time. This can lead to spoilage because shoppers aren't eating their bulk purchases fast enough. Additionally, some produce simply spoils more quickly, is more sensitive to bruising, or needs extra care to be adequately stored for optimal shelf life. There are any number of reasons why produce might go bad before its usual time that stores such as Costco can't always control.

If you can't avoid getting your produce from Costco, don't fret. There are ways to keep the fruits and veggies fresh longer with a bit of simple preparation. 

The most important thing you can do for your fresh fruits and vegetables? Remove moisture. Though too much dryness can have the opposite effect, especially with greens that need a bit of moisture to keep them perky, drying your produce as much as possible before storing it can help extend its life in the fridge a little longer. This is just a general rule of thumb, though; be sure to read up on the best way to store each individual item, as some, such as green onions, asparagus, and celery, benefit from being stored fully or partially in water.

The freezer is another great option if your produce is already starting to brown and you're stressing out watching it wilt. Most veggies and fruits will tolerate a freeze well if stored properly. Veggies should be sliced and blanched before freezing; fruit, depending on size, can either be frozen whole or sliced and stored. Try to avoid freezing watermelon and citrus fruits if possible, as they don't tend to do well in the icebox.