Fruit Storage

Fruit * ready to eat, no ripening needed | **ethylene sensitive | ***ethylene producer.

FRUIT	Refig or Not	SPECIAL TIPS
APPLES - August to January	Refrigerate 2 months	*** Apples will absorb odours from potatoes, onions and other fragrant produce. They tend to soften 10 times faster at room temperature.
APPLES - February to July	Refrigerate 2 to 3 weeks in perforated plastic bag in crisper
APRICOTS	Room Temp. Until ripe Refigerate 1 week (ripe), uncovered	***
ATEMOYA/CHERIMOYA	Room Temp. Until ripe Refigerate 3 to 5 days (ripe)	For best flavour, serve cold.
AVOCADOS	Room Temp. Until ripe Refigerate 2 to 5 days (ripe)	***
BANANAS	Room Temp. Until ripe Refigerate 1 to 2 days, uncovered (ripe) If refrigerated, banana skin will darken but it will remain fresh.	Unripe bananas. *Ripe bananas.
BLUEBERRIES	Refrigerate 10 days, loosely covered	* Store in shallow container.
CARAMBOLA (STAR FRUIT)	Room Temp. Until ripe Refigerate 1 week (ripe)	***
CHERRIES	Refrigerate 3 days	* Sweet cherries will absorb odours from fragrant produce. Select cherries with stems since stems prolong shelf life.
COCONUT	Room Temp. 1 to 2 weeks Refrigerate 1 to 2 weeks, whole, uncovered	* Refrigerate grated coconut for 1 week.
CRANBERRIES	Refrigerate 2 weeks	*
GRAPEFRUIT	Room Temp. 1 week; store loosely in open or perforated plastic bag Refrigerate 1 month; store loosely in open or perforated plastic bag	* Grapefruit produce odours that are absorbed by meat, eggs and dairy products.
GRAPES	Refrigerate 5 days	* Grapes will absorb odours produced by leeks and green onions.
KIWIFRUIT	Room Temp. Until ripe Refigerate 1 to 2 weeks (ripe)	Unripe kiwifruit. * Ripe kiwifruit.
LEMONS & LIMES	Room Temp. 1 week; store loosely in open or perforated plastic bag Refrigerate 1 month; store loosely in open or perforated plastic bag	* Lemons and limes produce odours that are absorbed by meat, eggs and dairy products.
LYCHEE/LONGAN	Refrigerate 1 to 2 weeks	* For best flavour, choose fruit that is full, heavy and not cracked.
MANGOS	Room Temp. Until ripe Refigerate 3 days (ripe)	***
MELONS - most types, e.g. cantaloupe, honeydew, casaba, Crenshaw, Santa Claus, etc.	Room Temp. Until ripe Refrigerate 3 days (ripe), whole, uncovered	* Always refrigerate cut melon; cover well and store away from other produce. Use cut melon within two days
-watermelon	Room Temp. a Few days Refrigerate 1 week, whole, uncovered
NECTARINES	Room Temp. Until ripe Refigerate 1 week (ripe)	***
ORANGES	Room Temp. 1 week; store loosely in open or perforated plastic bag Refrigerate 1 month; store loosely in open or perforated plastic bag	* Oranges produce odours that are absorbed by meat, eggs and dairy products. .
PAPAYA	Room Temp. Until ripe Refigerate 1 week (ripe)	*** Only store fully or half-ripened papaya in the refrigerator since cool temperatures shut down the ripening process.
PASSION FRUIT	Refrigerate 1 week (ripe)	***
PEACHES	Room Temp. Until ripe Refigerate 1 week; store uncovered in a single layer	***
PEARS	Room Temp. Until ripe Refigerate 2 to 3 days; store uncovered in a single layer	***Pears are ripe when flesh around stem gives to gentle pressure.
PERSIMMON	Room Temp. Until ripe Refigerate 3 days (ripe)	***
PINEAPPLE	Refrigerate 3 days, uncovered	* Pineapples will absorb odours produced by avocados and green peppers.
PLANTAIN	Room Temp. Until ripe Refrigerate 2 to 3 weeks (ripe), uncovered	Plantains must be cooked before eating. Do not refrigerate unless very ripe.
PLUMS	Room Temp. Until ripe Refrigerate 3 to 5 days (ripe)	***
POMEGRANATES	Refrigerate 3 to 4 weeks	*
PRICKLY PEAR	Room Temp. Until ripe Refrigerate 1 to 2 days	*
RASPBERRIES	Refrigerate 1 to 2 days, loosely covered in shallow container	*
RHUBARB	Refrigerate 5 days	* Rhubarb will absorb odours produced by avocados and green onions.
STRAWBERRIES	Refrigerate 1 to 2 days, loosely covered in shallow container	* Wash in cool water with the cap attached. For optimal flavour allow strawberries to reach room temperature before eating.
TANGERINES	Room Temp. 1 week; store loosely in open or perforated plastic bag Refrigerate 1 month; store loosely in open or perforated plastic bag	* Tangerines produce odours that are absorbed by meat, eggs and dairy products.

Do not store ethylene sensitive produce (such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, leafy greens, lettuce, etc.) with produce that produces ethylene (such as apples, avocados, bananas, melons, peaches, pears, and tomatoes).
Source: Canadian Produce Marketing Association - Home Storage Guide for Fresh Fruits & Vegetables

If you can get away with it, keep all fruit out of the fridge. There are exceptions, but often the taste of fruit declines in the cold.
Apples will stay good a very long time in the fridge, with little or no drop in taste.
Watermelon, once you crack them open you should put the remainder in the fridge. Chilled watermelon is delicious.
Never put green bananas in the fridge, but once they're very ripe you can likely get another week out of them in a refrigerator. The skin may turn black in the cold, but the flesh will still be fine, with little taste deterioration.
I've found that cantaloupes decline after more than a day or two in the fridge.

Source: Fruit Storage: A Simple Guide at raw-food-health.net
See table at Canadian Produce Marketing Association - Home Storage Guide for Fresh Fruits & Vegetables

The All new Joy of Cooking (1997) says:
"After ripening, most fruits keep best when stored in a perforated plastic bag in the refrigerator crisper drawer. The exceptions - avocados, bananas, citrus fruit, pineapples, and melons - can be refrigerated, but their quality is best preserved in a dark, cool (50-65° F) place."

Stone fruit:
Store peaches and nectarines at room temperature until ripe - this usually takes 2 to 3 days. A ripe fruit will yield a bit when pressed gently. To speed up the ripening process, place nectarines or peaches in a paper bag and store at room temperature, out of direct sunlight. Storing ripe stone fruit in the crisper drawer will prolong its eating life - it should keep for up to a week when refrigerated.
FreshDirect.com

Peaches:
Since peaches are highly perishable, purchase only the amount you need to use within a few days or plan on preserving them for long-term storage. The fruit should not be washed until just before you intend to use it. When storing fresh peaches at room temperature, be sure there is enough space between them to allow proper air circulation. Fresh peaches can be kept at room temperature three to four days, depending on how ripe they are when you buy them.

Refrigeration will extend their life, but not by more than a day or two. Peaches need humidity, so refrigerate in a plastic bag and use within two days. Ideally, let refrigerated peaches come close to room temperature before eating (about 30 minutes), as the flavor will be more full and robust.
Source: http://homecooking.about.com/od/foodstorage/a/peachstorage.htm

Cherries:
Since cherries don't ripen after harvest and tend to spoil quickly, they should be stored in the refrigerator, where they will keep for several days. They tend to absorb the odors of other foods, so keep them stored separately. Wash cherries just before serving.

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