Storing fruit
Most fruit is best stored in a cool, dark place, ideally in the fruit and vegetable drawer of your fridge, in the cellar or in a cool storeroom.
Certain fruit such as mangoes, papayas, pineapples, bananas and all citrus fruits are susceptible to the cold and should not be kept in the fridge. As a rule of thumb, stone fruit will last longer in the fridge. Citrus and other tropical fruits such as bananas, melons and avocados do not belong in the fridge. However, if you suddenly find you have lots of fruit flies in your home in the height of summer or if you want to slow the ripening process, you can also store tropical fruit in the fridge.
It is important to note that not all fruit can be stored together. Certain fruit produce ethylene gas, which speeds up the ripening process of other fruit and significantly reduces their shelf life. For example, kiwis will quickly turn soft when stored with apples. As such, fruit susceptible to ethylene (e.g. kiwis, melons and mangoes) should always be stored separately from fruit that produces ethylene (e.g. apples, apricots, avocados, bananas, pears, nectarines and peaches).
Food
Storage conditions
Storage period
Food
Berries (strawberries, raspberries, etc.)
Storage conditions
in the fridge (fruit and vegetable drawer)
Storage period
1 - 2 days
Food
Stone fruit (apricots, nectarines, etc.)
Storage conditions
in the fridge (fruit and vegetable drawer)
Storage period
2 - 3 days
Food
Citrus fruit (oranges, lemons)
Storage conditions
cool, but not in the fridge
Storage period
8 - 10 days
Food
Tropical fruit (pineapple, bananas)
Storage conditions
not in the fridge
Storage period
a few days
Food
Apples
Storage conditions
where possible below +5 °C
Storage period
3 - 5 months
Food
Pears
Storage conditions
dark, airy
Storage period
1 - 3 months
