5 Fruits You Should Never Refrigerate, According to an Expert

I'll admit it—I’m not the most patient person, especially when it comes to snacking. If I bring home a bunch of green bananas, I obsessively check each one, hoping to find just one that's ripe enough for my morning smoothie. On the flip side, I treat my fridge like a produce preservation chamber, stuffing it with Costco-sized hauls of fruits and veggies, convinced I can pause time until I'm ready to eat them.

According to Josh Alsberg, owner of Rubinette Produce Market in Portland, Oregon, some fruits are better left out of the fridge. "Many fruits, such as stone fruit, melons, pears, persimmons, and tomatoes (yes, tomatoes are a fruit!), continue ripening after they’re harvested and are often sold slightly under-ripe," he explains. Stashing them in the fridge too soon could mean dull flavors, mealy textures, and missed opportunities for peak sweetness.

The worst offenders? Bananas, avocados, mangoes, tomatoes, and stone fruit do best when left at room temperature.

Why You Shouldn’t Refrigerate These Fruits

Have you ever noticed that some fruits at the grocery store are rock-hard while others are perfectly ripe and ready to eat? That’s no accident. According to Alsberg, "Apples and citrus are picked and sold when they’re ripe and ready to eat," but other fruits—like bananas, avocados, mangoes, tomatoes, and stone fruit—are harvested before they’ve fully ripened. These fruits continue to develop flavor and texture as they travel to stores and even after you bring them home.

How do you know if a fruit belongs in the fridge or on the counter? Alsberg offers a pro tip: "Recognizing if your fruit is ripe or not helps determine if it should be refrigerated." Refrigeration slows, or even halts, the ripening process—sometimes with unappetizing results. 

• Bananas can turn gray and rubbery, losing their creamy texture.

• Avocados may stay stubbornly hard for days, only to go from rock-solid to mush.

• Mangoes become mushy and bland, never reaching their juicy, tropical peak.

• Tomatoes lose their signature sweetness, turning mealy and watery.

• Stone fruit—like peaches, plums, apricots, and nectarines—soften unevenly and can develop an unpleasantly grainy texture.
  

How To Store These Fruits To Keep Them Fresh

Bananas: A banana hanger isn’t just for aesthetics—it helps prevent bruising and can extend shelf life. Store bananas at room temperature and away from other fruits to avoid overripening.

Avocados: Keep unripe avocados on the counter, out of direct sunlight. Once they ripen, move them to the fridge to keep them fresh for a few more days.

Mangoes: Store unripe mangoes at room temperature, away from direct sunlight. Once ripe, refrigerate whole mangoes or slice them and refrigerate in an airtight container.

Tomatoes: Store tomatoes stem-side down on a plate or countertop to prevent bruising and reduce the risk of mold. Keep them spread out and at room temperature for the best flavor.

Stone Fruit: Spread out peaches, plums, apricots, and nectarines to prevent bruising. Store unripe stone fruit at room temperature, away from direct sunlight, until they soften.

One more storage tip: Keep bananas, avocados, and apples separate from other produce. These fruits release ethylene gas, a natural plant hormone that speeds up ripening. “This off-gassing helps them to ripen off the tree,” explains Alsberg. “The process can also cause other nearby fruit to ripen more quickly.”

If you want to ripen fruit faster, place it in a paper bag with a ripe banana or apple, but if you're trying to slow things down, keep them apart!

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