Fruit Storage Tips

food/fruit storage

Fruit Storage Tips

These tips came from miscellaneous sources.

Fruit Storage Tips

Apples: Store on a cool counter or shelf for up to two weeks. For longer storage in a cardboard box in the fridge.
Citrus: Store in a cool place, with good airflow, never in an air-tight container.
Apricots: Store on a cool counter to room temperature or fridge if fully ripe
Cherries: Store in an airtight container. Don't wash cherries until ready to eat, any added moisture encourages mold.
Berries: Don't forget, they're fragile. When storing be careful not to stack too many high, a single layer if possible. A paper bag works well, only wash before you plan on eating them.
Dates: Drier dates (like Deglet Noor) are fine stored out on the counter in a bowl or the paper bag they were bought in. Moist dates (like Medjool) need a bit of refrigeration if they're going to be stored over a week, either in cloth or a paper bag- as long as it's porous to keeping the moisture away from the skin of the dates.
Figs: They don't like humidity, so, no closed containers. A paper bag works to absorb excess moisture, but a plate works best in the fridge up to a week un-stacked.
Melons: Store uncut in a cool dry place, out of the sun up to a couple weeks. Cut melons should be in the fridge, an open container is fine.
Nectarines: They're similar to apricots. Store in the fridge is okay if ripe, but best taken out a day or two before you plan on eating them so they soften to room temperature.
Peaches (and most stone fruit): Refrigerate only when fully ripe. More firm fruit will ripen on the counter.
Pears: They will keep for a few weeks on a cool counter, but fine in a paper bag. To hasten the ripening put an apple in with them.
Pomegranates: Keep up to a month stored on a cool counter.
Strawberries: They don't like to be wet. Do best in a paper bag in the fridge for up to a week. Check the bag for moisture every other day.