*Opens fridge drawer immediately...*
We all put our fresh produce in the fridge, but when it comes to fruit, if you tend to store it in the fridge to keep it fresher longer, you may be doing it all wrong. The chilling process can actually mess up the ripening of certain fruits. Here are the ones to consider keeping on your kitchen worktop instead.
Stone fruits (peaches, plums, nectarines, cherries) can be victims of chill damage if stored in the refrigerator. And you know that means? Flavourless and without that sweetness that makes you love them so much. Instead, wait until they ripen, then refrigerate once soft.
Store all melons on the counter if you want to maximise their flavour (which, of course, you do), but beyond taste, there is also a health consideration for not keeping them in the fridge. USDA research found that storing melons at room temperature helps preserve the antioxidants in them. After you've cut into them, however, stick them in the fridge to prevent bacterial growth.
Sour tomatoes are the worst. If you want to keep them tasting sweet, avoid putting tomatoes that aren't fully ripened in the fridge — it can mess with the enzymes that are crucial to giving the fruit its flavour.
There is one exception: If your tomato is super-ripe when you buy it, refrigerate it to prevent moulding.
It's not that you shouldn't refrigerate apples, it's just that you don't need to. Apples will last on the counter for a good week or two, and if you want to preserve their shelf life after that, then put them in the fridge. Apples are an ethylene-producing fruit, though, meaning they give off a gas that can make other fruits/vegetables ripen quicker, so if you do put them in the fridge, store them separately from other produce.
Refrigeration, as with most fruits, halts the ripening process, so if you want to eat your avocado ASAP, store it on the worktop.
Berries are going to taste their best when stored at room temperature. However, they can get mouldy quickly, so if you don't plan to eat them within a day or two, refrigeration is a better bet.
Not only will storing bananas in the fridge mess with their ripening process, if you take them out of the fridge, they still will not ripen.
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Store all melons on the counter if you want to maximise their flavour (which, of course, you do), but beyond taste, there is also a health consideration for not keeping them in the fridge. <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/healthy/packages/healthy-every-week/healthy-tips/foods-you-should-not-refrigerate" target="_blank" data-tracking-id="recirc-text-link">USDA research found</a> that storing melons at room temperature helps preserve the antioxidants in them. After you've cut into them, however, stick them in the fridge to prevent bacterial growth.</p>" data-cy="slide-image-2" src="https://hips.hearstapps.com/housebeautiful.cdnds.net/17/10/3200x4262/1488882233-1467840728-gettyimages-74333158.jpg" title="Melons" width="3622" height="4825" decoding="async" loading="lazy"/>
