16 Fruits That Last the Longest (If You Know How to Store Them) (2024)

•

Published Jul 13, 2022

How to Store Fruit So It Lasts As Long As Possible, No Matter What Type

Zhorzh2008/Getty Images

1. Apples

Apples will last about a week at room temperature—not bad. But if you store them in the crisper drawer of your fridge, they’ll stay fresh up to two months, says the USDA’s FoodKeeper app.

thananya/Getty Images

2. Passionfruit

This tropical fruit might not be the most common in your kitchen, but it’s worth putting on your grocery list: The tart fruit can last up to five weeks in the refrigerator.

Richard Coombs/EyeEm/Getty Images

3. Pomegranate

Fun fact: The word “pomegranate” derives from the Latin for “seeded apple,” and while it’s not technically in the same family, it lasts about as long. A pomegranate can keep in the fridge for up to a month, and about a week at room temp.

Stefania Pelfini, La Waziya Photography/Getty Images

4. Cranberries

Most berries are delicate and fleeting, but thicker-skinned cranberries are a bit sturdier. They’ll last up to four weeks if stored in the fridge.

Grace Cary/Getty Images

5. Oranges

With their tough, protective rind, oranges will hold up well in the fridge for three to four weeks. If you can’t resist a bowl of oranges on your kitchen table, they’ll stay fresh for about one week.

d3sign/Getty Images

6. Lemons

Like oranges, lemons are pretty hardy: Rind intact, they’ll last for about a month in your fridge and about a week at room temperature. (Want to keep them fresh even longer? Here’s how.)

Westend61/Getty Images

7. Limes

Limes will typically stay fresh for about a week at room temperature, but you can prolong their freshness for up to three weeks in the fridge. (If the limes are cut, cover them in plastic wrap or beeswax wrap and they’ll last up to seven days, according to the experts at Masterclass.)

Alina Nechaeva/Getty Images

8. Grapefruit

This bittersweet citrus fruit can rest on your countertop for about a week. You’ll want to transfer it to the fridge once it’s ripe, where it will keep for up to three weeks.

OsakaWayne Studios/Getty Iamges

9. Clementines

These lil’ guys (and their older siblings, mandarins) will keep for about two weeks in the fridge, but you can also store them at room temp for about one week—easy access for snacking, you know?

Johner Images/Getty Images

10. Watermelon

Skip the precut stuff in favor of a whole melon. At room temp, it’ll last about a week, and in the fridge, it’ll stay fresh for up to two weeks. (And once it’s ripe, make a watermelon cucumber salad with it.)

Peerayot/Getty Images

11. Grapes

Grapes will keep their crunch for one to two weeks in a bowl or ventilated bag in the fridge. Only wash them right before eating to keep them at their peak.

Photographer, Basak Gurbuz Derman/Getty Images

12. Cantaloupe

Uncut, this sweet melon will last about two weeks in the fridge and about one week on the countertop, depending on its ripeness when you buy it.

by Justin A. Morris/Getty Images

13. Kiwi

A kiwi can last a pretty long time in the fridge: about a month for a very firm one, and about ten days for a ripe one. (Again, ripeness is a huge factor here.)

Michael Moeller/EyeEm/Getty Images

14. Blueberries

Thanks to their resilient outer skin, blueberries will keep for one to one and a half weeks in the refrigerator. (They’ll only last a day or two at room temp, though.) To prolong their shelf life, pick out and discard any overripe or moldy berries to prevent them from ruining the whole batch, and keep them out of the crisper for better air circulation.

rfranca/Getty Images

15. Cherries

Cherries will last for about a week if you keep them dry and cold. Store them between layers of paper towels in the fridge to maximize their freshness.

Jena Ardell/Getty Images

16. Mango

Sweet and juicy, a ripe mango will stay fresh for about a week when stored in the fridge. At room temperature, an unripe mango can last up to seven days. Once it’s ripe, it’ll go fast (in about three days).