That crunchy bite of an apple…the cool, sweet juice from a watermelon dripping down your parched
throat…the burst of delicious flavor you get when you pop a cherry in your mouth…There is nothing like
fruit at its freshest, so you want to enjoy your fruits at their peak to maximize on all that unbeatable
taste and texture.
Although it is not always the case, most fruits should be left out to ripen, but once they do, they tend to
last longer in your refrigerator. Here are some tips for getting the most out of your fruit:
Grapes fare best in the cold, so discard any rotten grapes in your bunch and place them in your
refrigerator. They can last up to a week in your crisper. Apples should also be refrigerated or at least
kept in a cool dark place and you will enjoy their crunchy goodness for weeks, thank goodness!
Bananas, on the other hand, are better stored at room temperature, as refrigerating or freezing can
prevent proper ripening. While brown paper bags can speed up the ripening process, bananas should
never be stored in plastic produce bags. Banana hangers, however, are super helpful because
suspending your bananas will help you avoid those “resting bruises” on your fruit.
Watermelon can lose its fresh, sweet, juiciness in three to four days. You can slice it and keep yours in
an airtight container in the fridge for that period of time. Draining it so that it doesn’t sit in its juices and
become soggy can help in the preservation process as well.
Avocados, papayas, mangoes and kiwis should be kept on your counter until they ripen. Then you can
keep them a few more days in the fridge. Melons, pears, peaches and nectarines grow sweeter as they
ripen at room temperature, so do the same with those.
Cherries, berries and pineapples should be ripe upon purchase and are best consumed right away, so
pop them in your mouth or pop them in the fridge!