How to Keep Fruit Fresh on the Kitchen Counter

A fruit bowl adds life to your kitchen but can also attract fruit flies.

Most fruit must be kept in the refrigerator to be stored long-term. When fruit ripens, it produces a gas called ethylene, which makes the fruit sweeter by producing enzymes. But when a fruit ripens too much, it grows mold and bacteria. Because cooling the atmosphere slows the release of ethylene, it is difficult to keep fruit fresh on a regular kitchen counter. Nevertheless, there are few things you can do to slightly lengthen the shelf-life of your fruit.

Instructions

1. Keep your fruit out of direct sunlight. Too much sunlight can speed the release of ethylene. Put your fruit in a large uncovered bowl in the darkest corner of your counter.

2. Put your fruit inside a perforated bag. The bag will ensure that the fruit does is not exposed to as much oxygen, while the perforations will allow moisture to be released rather than reabsorbed.

3. Keep the temperature and humidity as low as possible in your kitchen. You can't replicate the conditions of your refrigerator, but a cool environment with drier air will help preserve your fruit a little longer.

4. Store apples separately from other fruits. Apples release ethylene more quickly and can cause other fruits to ripen sooner than they normally would, if kept in close proximity.

Tips & Warnings

• Discard fruit that has any sign of mold or bacteria on it.

References

• Eat Right Ontario: How To Store Fruit to Keep them Fresh
• Natural Health: Easy Ways to Keep Fruit Fresh
• Mother Earth News: How to Preserve Food Without Refrigeration
• Cornell Center for Materials Research: Glucose Sweetens Fruit as it Ripens