How to Preserve Fruits Properly to Keep them Fresh?

Everyone loves fresh and juicy fruits. In order to keep fruits fresh and healthy, you must preserve them properly. Several fruits last longer if you store them in the refrigerator whereas other fruits need to be consumed within a week. In this article, we have mentioned the ways you can store fruits in the refrigerator. Plus, we have covered the life expectancy of several fruits in the fridge.

 

How to store fruits in the fridge?

Fruits like apples, berries, and grapes last long if you keep them at a definite temperature in a fridge. You can even keep them with their original packaging in the crisper in a refrigerator.

Berries last only for a week which is why you must consume berries as soon as you buy them.

You can keep fruits in a plastic bag with a slight opening so that they release moisture. Avoid air-tight plastic bags. The moisture helps to maintain the fruit quality and keeps them fresh. These bags are perfect for blueberries, strawberries, cherries, and grapes.

Important: Keep in note that apples cause vegetables and fruits to ripe faster. So make sure to store apples in a separate container or section in the fridge.

 

Fruits that you should buy after they mature

There are several fruits that you should buy when they are matured. The raw fruits in the refrigerator do not ripe and eventually get dandy. Some of those fruits are avocados, kiwi, guava, mangoes, melons, apricots, nectarines, peaches, plumps, papaya, and bananas. Store these fruits in the fridge when they are ripe.

 

Storage time of fruits in a refrigerator

Below is the chart of different fruits and their life expectancy in a refrigerator.

·         Apples                                                        3-4 weeks

·         Apricots (ripe)                                            4-5 days

·         Avocados (ripe)                                          3-5 days

·         Blueberries                                                  1-2 weeks

·         Cherries                                                       4-7 days

·         Cranberries                                                  3-4 weeks

·         Gooseberries                                                2-3 days

·         Grapefruit                                                    2-3 weeks

·         Grapes                                                          5-7 days

·         Guava (ripe)                                                  3-4 days

·         Kiwi (ripe)                                                    5-7 days

·         Mango (ripe)                                                 5-7 days

·         Melons (ripe)                                                7-10 days

·         Nectarine (ripe)                                             3-5 days

·         Oranges                                                         2-3 weeks

·         Peaches (ripe)                                                3-5 days

·         Pears (ripe)                                                    5-7 days

·         Pineapple                                                       3-5 days

·         Plums (ripe)                                                   3-5 days

·         Pomegranate                                                  1-2 months

·         Pickly pear (ripe)                                           1-3 days

·         Raspberries                                                    2-3 days

·         Rhubarb                                                         5-7 days

·         Strawberries                                                   3-5 days

·         Watermelons                                                  2 weeks

 

Note that the above table is only to give a basic idea of storing food in a fridge. You need to check the fruits from time to time to know they are rotten or not.

 

Is it possible to keep fruits in a root cellar?

Yes, it is possible. You can store apples in a dark, dry, and cool root cellar. Apples can even be stored in a cupboard maximum of six months depending on the humidity and temperature of the cupboard or cellar.

 

Freeze your fruits if you are not eating right away

You can freeze most of the fruits and can enjoy them fresh and juicy afterward. Frozen fruits can be used in many ways to add more flavor to your meals. You can make smoothies, use them to bake muffins and bread, mix with yogurt, add to cereals, or make a fruit sauce for waffles and pancakes. Frozen fruits can last long for one year.

 

Methods to freeze fruits

There are various methods to freeze fruits. They can be frozen as a whole, in pieces, or store in a jar or container with syrup.

 

Following is the method that works fine in freezing berries.

• First gently risen the berries and drain the water.
• On a cookie sheet spread the berries in one layer. Place them in a freezer. This way you can keep them separated.
• Once the berries are hard enough you can place them in freezer containers or bags.

 

How long a canned fruit can be stored?

• You can keep canned fruits for 1-2 years. Make sure to label them with a date in order to keep the track of time.
• Some canned fruits are labeled with manufacturing and expiring date and you can use them accordingly.

 

In this article, we have covered all the key points related to storing fruits. We have talked about different ways of storing fruits and their life span. The above-mentioned guidelines will allow you to keep fruits fresh and healthy for a long period.