Techniquebeginnerdraft
Storing fruit properly
Also searched as: fruit in the fridge, storing bananas, tomatoes in the fridge
In short: Some fruit belongs in the fridge, some does not: it depends on whether it keeps ripening and how sensitive it is to cold.
Picture it
Like a shared flat: whoever is noisy needs a room of their own.
What happens
keeps breathing after harvest. Cold slows this down but harms fruit from warm climates: bananas turn black, tomatoes mealy and bland. Apples and ripe bananas give off and speed up the ripening of their neighbours.
Why it matters
Stored properly, fruit often keeps twice as long and tastes better.
How it’s done
Sequence · Step 1 of 4
Fridge: berries, cherries, grapes and ripe apples, unwashed.
All steps as a list
- Fridge: berries, cherries, grapes and ripe apples, unwashed.
- Room temperature: bananas, tomatoes, avocados, stone fruit and citrus until they are ripe.
- Keep apples separate so they do not ripen other fruit too early.
- Wash berries only just before eating.
Rules of thumb
- Never put tomatoes in the fridge if you want them to taste of anything.
Related entries
Sources · 1
- Harold McGee: On Food and Cooking (2004), Kapitel Früchte: Lagerung