Most fresh fruits are quite perishable and require refrigeration. You can leave some fruits out to ripen, but when they’re ripe, they last longer in the fridge. Here are some suggestions on storing fresh fruits:
Apples: Refrigerate or store in a cool, dark place. Keep for several weeks.
Avocados, papayas, kiwis, and mangoes: Keep at room temperature until fully ripened and then refrigerate them to keep for several more days.
Bananas: Refrigerate to slow down their ripening. Their peel continues to darken, but not their flesh.
Cherries and berries: Keep refrigerated. For best flavor, consume them the same day you purchase them.
Citrus fruits (such as lemons, limes, grapefruit, oranges): Citrus fruits, which don’t ripen further after they’re picked and are relatively long-storage fruits, keep for up to three weeks in the fridge.
Grapes: Keep in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Melons and tree fruits (such as pears, peaches, and nectarines): Keep at room temperature so that they can ripen and grow sweeter. After they’re fully ripe, you can store them in the refrigerator for several more days.
Pineapple: Doesn’t ripen after it’s picked; best if eaten within a few days of purchase. Keep at room temperature, away from heat and sun, or refrigerate whole or cut up (as shown in this figure).
Tomatoes: (Yes, this is technically a fruit!) Store at room temperature for more flavor. Keep in a cool, dark place or in a paper bag to ripen fully. Refrigerate them after they ripen to keep them from spoiling.
