Ripen fruit at room temperature. Once they are ripe, refrigerate. Apples, cherries, grapefruit, grapes, oranges, pineapples, strawberries, tangerines and watermelon are received ripe and should be refrigerated.
Fruits That Should Not Be Stored in the Refrigerator
Apricots, Asian pears, avocado, bananas, guava, kiwis, mangoes, melons, nectarines, papayas, passion fruit, pawpaw, peaches, pears, persimmons, pineapples, plantain, plums, starfruit, soursop, and quince will continue to ripen if left out on the counter.
Storing: Oranges and other citrus fruits such as lemons, limes, and grapefruits can be stored short-term (up to one week) at room temperature. To prolong the shelf life (up to 3-4 weeks) of citrus fruits, keep them in a bag in the refrigerator.
Despite the additional drying effect the fridge can have, the cool space is ultimately better for storing oranges. They can live for a few days to one week at room temperature but popping them in the refrigerator extends that to three or four weeks.
STORE. They may be stored in a cool, dark spot for a few days, but ideally should be refrigerated to extend shelf life up to 2 weeks.
The chill brings that deep orange hue to the skin and the fruit, it thickens the peel — as if Mother Nature is putting on an extra coat — and it triggers sugar production in the fruit.
Refrigeration
To refrigerate them properly, place them in a mesh as opposed to a plastic bag. This allows air to circulate and slows down the growth of mold, lesions, or softened rind. If you place them in the veggie section and turn them occasionally to allow airflow, they should remain fresh for about 30 days.
Storing fruit in the fridge
Most fresh fruit, including apples, berries and grapes, will last longer if kept in their original packaging and stored in the crisper of your fridge. Berries can last in the fridge for about a week. It's a good idea to eat as soon as possible so they don't spoil.
Avocado, apples, bananas, citrus fruits, berries, peaches, apricots, and nectarines should be stored out of the fridge. Refrigerating these fruits will result in loss of flavors and textures.
Do Fresh Eggs Need to Be Refrigerated? Freshly laid eggs need to be refrigerated immediately. Fresh eggs purchased from a farmers market need to be refrigerated as soon as you get home. Per USDA guidelines, eggs should be stored at 40 degrees F or below to help minimize the risk of Salmonella.
Storing lemons in the fridge is a great way to extend their shelf life. And if you want to keep lemons fresh for longer than a week, you'll definitely want to refrigerate them.
Place your unwashed strawberries on top in a single layer, then cover with a lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use, ideally within seven days. If you notice one of the strawberries going bad or turning moldy, immediately remove it and discard.
An unpeeled orange stored in the crisper drawer of a refrigerator lasts for about two weeks to one month. Mandarins last longer in a cool, dark place as opposed to a countertop in direct sunlight or on top of the refrigerator. There is no need for a plastic bag when you store them whole and unpeeled.
Apples are safe at room temperature, but their higher ethylene content contributes to faster ripening. Apples stored in the refrigerator can last for several weeks. Cut produce is more susceptible to pathogens, so storing in the refrigerator can limit pathogen growth.
They prefer the refrigeration. Apples keep longest when held at 31-36 degrees Fahrenheit. So, you want to keep them in the coolest part of the refrigerator. Most home refrigerators don't get that cold because the rest of your food would freeze, but the colder the better.
Cherries & Grapes – Store in refrigerator, unwashed, in their packaged plastic containers or plastic bags until ready to wash and eat. Citrus fruit – Extend the shelf life of clementines, grapefruit, lemons, limes and oranges by storing them in the crisper drawer or in a mesh bag in the refrigerator.
Don't store apples and oranges together in the same drawer in the refrigerator – make sure you store them in separate drawers or on separate shelves.
"Place them in the veggie section and turn them occasionally to allow airflow." And don't cram them tightly into your crisper drawer; airflow is essential for maintaining citrus freshness, says Gull. What if you made a big orange purchase or were gifted a box of mandarins and there's no room in your refrigerator?
Keeping your cool
Oranges, in particular, are often stored in fruit bowls, and while they do make an attractive display, citrus fruits will only keep for around four days at room temperature, compared to up to four weeks in a refrigerator.
Store all whole citrus in the fruit crisper drawer of your refrigerator, out of any plastic bags. They will last for a couple weeks when stored in this manner. Do not leave the fruit out on any of the open refrigerator shelves.
Citrus fruits.
Oranges and grapefruits might be a go-to snack, but save them for drinks and meals earlier in the day. They can be tough on the digestive system and trigger indigestion that disturbs sleep.
The ideal place to store bananas is on the countertop, where they can ripen naturally. You can refrigerate bananas once they've achieved your ideal level of ripeness; however, refrigerating bananas too soon or for too long can have detrimental effects on your bunch.
Citrus fruit do not sweeten once they are picked from the tree. While the color may change once the fruit is picked -- turning more orange -- the sweetness will not increase once they are picked. They are definitely not sweeter if you pick them before they are fully ripe and ripen them off the tree.