During the winter, you might not be too concerned about storing your fresh fruit in the refrigerator. However, during warmer weather, there’s nothing more refreshing than chilled fresh fruit. It’s important to remember that there are some fruits that love cooler temperatures while others are best left at room temperature if you don’t want them to spoil or lose flavour. If you receive a fruit hamper (or two) from loved ones and you want to make sure that they last as long as possible, here are some guidelines:
Fruits that you should allow to ripen before you place them in the fridge:

  • Apricots
  • Bananas
  • Guavas
  • Kiwis
  • Mangoes
  • Nectarines
  • Peaches
  • Pineapples
  • Pears
  • Plums

These fruit will not continue to ripen after they have been picked and it’s best to put them in the fridge as soon as you buy or receive them:

  • Berries (blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries)
  • Cherries
  • Grapes
  • Figs
  • Litchis

The following fruits should remain at room temperature:

  • Apples
  • Citrus fruits (oranges, clementines, tangerines, lemons, limes, and grapefruit)
  • Pomegranates
  • Watermelon (although you might want to chill before eating)

When you send a loved one a gift hamper with fruit, it’s important to remember that you should store it properly before making the delivery. Given the nature of fruit, it’s never a good idea to keep the basket for too long before presenting it to the recipient. If you need to make the delivery on a certain day, make sure that the basket is scheduled to arrive the day before. Store in a dry, dark, and relatively cool place. Do not place the hamper or any of the fruit in the fridge! If you do, you will subject them to further temperature changes when you place them back in the basket and make the delivery.