We tend to treat the refrigerator as the safest home for anything edible, but with fruit that instinct can backfire. Several fruits simply refuse to ripen properly in the cold, and many lose the very flavour we are trying to preserve. Here are nine such fruits worth pausing over before you reach for the fridge door.
The ones that need room warmth to ripen
Mango- Dropping a raw mango straight into the fridge is one of the most common mistakes. In the cold it neither ripens quickly nor holds its taste, because ripening needs a normal temperature. Only once the mango has fully ripened should it go into the fridge — a chilled, ripe mango is wonderfully tasty.
Papaya- If you assume a raw papaya will ripen faster in the fridge, the assumption is wrong. The cold can actually halt its natural ripening. A papaya that is already ripe, however, can be refrigerated to keep it cool.
Peach and plum- Both are better left outside too. When raw, they ripen properly at room temperature and keep their flavour, whereas the fridge slows the ripening right down. Once ripe, you can refrigerate them to keep them fresh.
The ones best kept away from the fridge
Banana- Put a ripe banana in the fridge and its peel turns black fast. The cold can also slow the banana's ripening and spoil both taste and texture. Bananas should always be kept at room temperature.
Pineapple- A pineapple should never be refrigerated, since it stays fine at room temperature. That said, leftover cut pineapple can go into the fridge in an airtight container — that keeps the fruit fresh and fit to eat.
Cut them, and the rules change
Watermelon- A whole watermelon does not need the fridge, but once you slice it, store it inside rather than leaving it out. At a normal temperature watermelon stays safe for two to three days.
Muskmelon- Like watermelon, a whole muskmelon can sit outside, but once cut it should go into an airtight container in the fridge to stay fresh. Leaving cut watermelon or muskmelon out lets bacteria multiply quickly because of the moisture in them.
Litchi- Fresh litchi can sit at room temperature for a short while, but left out too long it can spoil. If you need to store it for a few days, the fridge is the better option.
The basics worth remembering
Refrigerating many fruits dulls their natural taste, leaves the texture either too soft or too firm, slows the ripening process, and makes the peel blacken or look damaged sooner. So always let raw fruit ripen first at room temperature, and only then put it in the fridge to chill. Cut fruit should always be stored in an airtight container in the fridge — and finished within two days.
