12 Fruits You Should Never Put in the Fridge (And What Happens If You Do)

“Did you know that improper fruit storage could be costing you both flavor and nutrients?” The USDA says fruits are essential to a healthy diet and recommends 1.5 to 2 cups daily. However, specific storage is suitable for your fruit, as this can drastically affect how it stores and lasts.

Of course, on the surface, the fridge is just the perfect spot to put it all, but not all perishables thrive when left in the refrigerator. Not only can refrigeration lead to losing your sweetness, but also to an undesirable change in texture.

Knowing the science of storing fruit is good for preserving nutritional value and enjoying it at its best. Check out the 12 fruits that should never be placed into your refrigerator and what happens if you do.

Bananas

Warmer Bananas are better; freezing naturally stops the banana’s ripening process. The cold activates the enzymes that cause the skin to brown and the fruit inside to become mushy. Store bananas at room temperature on the countertop to keep them tasting and texturing well.

If you want your bananas to ripen slower, avoid other ethylene-producing fruits like apples. If your bananas are ripening too quickly, you can remove them from the bunch or cover the stems with plastic, slowing down the release of ethylene.

Mangoes

Another tropical fruit that doesn’t like chill is mangoes. Putting them in the fridge before they’re ripe halts the ripening process, leaving the fruit mealy and tasteless. To achieve their signature juicy, sweet profile has much to do with proper ripening.

Mangoes can be left at room temperature until they soften slightly. They can be kept in the fridge for several more days when ripe.

Watermelon

Refrigeration changes watermelon’s signature taste and texture. Studies reveal that antioxidants and the juicy brightness of the flesh are lost in cold temperatures. Store a whole watermelon at room temperature for the best flavor and nutrient benefits.

It’s best to slice your watermelon just before eating. Cut pieces can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.

Peaches

Fresh, juicy peaches and the fridge are just not friends. As for peaches, cold storage of unripe fruit damages fruit texture and instead remains grainy or mealy. It also reduces their sweet aroma and taste.

Peaches should ripen entirely on the countertop. Refrigerate for 2–3 days if you can’t eat them as soon as they ripen to stop them from overripening.

Plums

As with peaches, refrigerating plums too soon will result in a loss of luscious texture. The cold can mess with their natural ripening process, leaving you with less flavorful and less consistent fruit.

Plums should be kept in a fruit bowl at room temperature. However, eat them whenever they feel soft and have a strong fragrant smell. Store them in the refrigerator only if they have reached peak ripeness and you want to extend their shelf life.

Tomatoes

You may be surprised to hear it, but tomatoes (yes, tomatoes are a fruit, after all) should never be placed in the fridge. The cold changes their cellular structure, making them mealy and bland and destroying any potential for that rich, sun-ripened taste.

Store tomatoes on the counter, stem side down, so air doesn’t get into the fruit. Please keep them in an area not in direct sunshine to prevent them from ripening too fast.

Apples

If you eat apples in a week or less, there’s no need to refrigerate them, but apples are stored well in refrigerators in the long term. Apples stored in the fridge lose crunch and natural sweetness as time passes.

For short periods, apples should be kept in a cool, dark spot—such as a pantry—for maximum freshness.

Berries

Even though most people immediately refrigerate berries, doing so allows moisture in the fridge to increase mold growth and make the berries mushy.

Wash berries only just before eating them. If you must refrigerate them, put them in a breathable container lined with paper towels to absorb moisture.

Pineapples

Refrigerating pineapples puts them on hold from the ripening process, which changes taste and texture. Pineapples do not continue to ripen after they are picked; instead, they become sweeter after some sitting at room temperature.

Keep pineapples whole on your counter and cut them when you want to eat them. Store the cut veggies in the fridge in an airtight container; they should be kept for 3 – 4 days.

Kiwi

Kiwis can be unripe and rubbery from cold temperatures. Although small, these mighty fruits benefit from room-temperature ripening for a sweeter, better-textured batch.

To hurry up the process, put kiwis in a paper bag with other ripening fruits, such as bananas. Refrigerate them once they’re ripe to keep them slightly fresher for another brief few days.

Oranges

Oranges don’t require refrigeration unless cut. Keeping them cold dulls their brightly tasting, juicy qualities. Oranges are also hardy enough to last a long while on the counter.

Place whole oranges in a basket or fruit bowl with lots of airflow. To save them, put the rest in the fridge, wrapped in an airtight container.

Avocados

Storage of avocados isn’t quite as simple as it seems. Avocados left in the fridge can stay there too long and not ripen. Conversely, they can quickly get mushy if not stored in the cold.

Place ripened avocados on the counter until they are soft when gently squeezed. To delay overripening, move them to the fridge and wrap them in plastic if already cut.

Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.

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