Apples often go straight into a fruit bowl after a grocery run. It keeps them visible and within reach, but it can also mean they reach the end of their usable life sooner.
Morrisons says apples can last up to 14 days longer in the refrigerator than in a fruit bowl. The difference comes down in part to temperature and ethylene, a gas involved in fruit ripening.
Moving apples from the counter to the fridge can slow that process without adding another storage container or prep step.
Apples Produce Ethylene as They Ripen
Apples are among the fruits that produce ethylene, and the gas helps drive the ripening process.
Put several types of fruit together in a bowl and ethylene-producing fruit can affect the produce stored around it. Apples aren’t sitting in isolation when they’re next to bananas, pears, or other ripening fruit.
A warm kitchen adds another factor. Higher temperatures can speed ripening, which works against you when the goal is to keep a bag of apples for more than a few days.
Fridge Storage Can Add Up to 14 Days
Morrisons recommends moving apples to the refrigerator, where the lower temperature slows ripening.
According to the supermarket, refrigerated apples can last up to 14 days longer than apples kept in a fruit bowl.
That makes the fridge worth considering when buying several apples at once or when you know they won’t all be eaten within a few days.
Counter Storage Still Works When You’ll Eat Them Soon
Keeping a few apples in a fruit bowl isn’t a problem when they’re going to be eaten soon. The bigger difference comes when fruit needs to last.
Instead of putting the entire grocery bag on the counter, keep the apples you plan to eat first within reach and move the rest into the refrigerator.
The change is small: no washing, cutting, or special container required. The apples just need a colder place to wait until you’re ready for them.
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