How to store 7 different fruits to make them last longer

When your favorite fruits are in season, it's hard not to buy them all up at once. But if you're not storing the fruits properly, you might check back a few days later to find them spoiled.

With just some small adjustments, you can ensure that your fruits remain at their peak flavor and ripeness until you decide to take that first bite.

Here are seven fruits you're probably storing the wrong way and how to properly store them.

Tomatoes don't belong in your fridge.

Although placing many fruits and vegetables in the refrigerator can make them last longer, that's not the case for tomatoes. Storing your tomatoes in the fridge can greatly reduce the fruit's flavor and aroma.

After seven days in the refrigerator, the DNA of a tomato begins to change, causing the activity of the fruit genes to decline and therefore reduce its flavour. According to a 2016 study, even after being removed from the fridge, the tomato's genes did not fully recover.

Next time you buy tomatoes, give them their proper place on the counter.

Leaving your bananas in a bunch isn't the best way to keep them from turning brown.

Attempting to keep your fruit in the best condition for the longest amount of time is not always the most aesthetically pleasing.

When it comes to bananas, experts recommend separating each banana and wrapping a small piece of plastic wrap around each individual stem.

Similar to other fruits on this list, bananas emit ethylene gas, which makes the fruit ripen at a faster rate. Separating the bananas, as well as using the plastic wrap, will help slow down that ripening process.

Apples last pretty well in the fridge.

If you want your apples to last longer, putting them in the fridge is the way to go.

According to Gardener's Supply Company, the ideal temperature to store apples is between 30=35 deg. F. And they will do best when stored in a crisper drawer either in a bag with holes or covered with a damp towel.

Because apples give off ethylene gas, you should not place any other produce in the same refrigerator drawer. Ethylene is a natural plant hormone that can cause other fruits and vegetables nearby to soften and decay.

Watermelon doesn't need to be in the fridge unless you slice it.

There's nothing like the taste of a ripe, juicy watermelon on a warm summer day. But if you're not properly taking care of your melon after you bring it home from the grocery store, it may not taste its best when you finally cut it up.

It is recommended that you buy your watermelon a week or two before you plan to serve it. During that time, keep the whole melon at room temperature — not in the refrigerator. Once you cut it up into slices, then you should refrigerate it for one to three days before eating it.

Peaches and plums might need to be moved after they ripen.

Peaches and plums are both climacteric fruits, which means they continue to ripen after they've been picked from the tree.

In order to keep these fruits fresh for longer, they advises consumers to allow them to ripen on the counter and then transfer them to the refrigerator. This will stop the fruits from becoming soft and growing mold.

It might be best to leave your grapes alone.

If you don't make any changes to your grapes between the time you buy them at the grocery store and when you pop them in your refrigerator then you're probably doing it right.

In 2011, the experts conducted an experiment to test various effects on the shelf life of grapes. They compared grapes both on and off the stem and un-rinsed or rinsed and found that unrinsed grapes still on their stems lasted the longest before spoiling.

So the next time you purchase a bag of grapes, leave them in the ventilated plastic bag, remove any rotting or decaying grapes and place the bag in the fridge. According to the Cook's Illustrated experiment, they can last up to a month like this as long as you check on them periodically and remove any spoiled grapes.

Oranges shouldn't be on your counter.

If you've followed the best storage guidelines up until now, that fruit bowl on your countertop is probably looking pretty barren. Well, you can say goodbye to the oranges and clementines in there as well.

Although most people keep their oranges and clementines at room temperature, citrus fruits will actually last longer when stored in the fridge, specifically a vegetable drawer, according to The Seattle Times.

Citrus fruits should last several weeks in the fridge, but you should check them regularly and eat them once they start to become soft. 

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