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When should I eat the fruit I bought? Judging ripeness and storing fruit well

This answer is a draft. It stays unpublished until legal review and source verification are complete.

A rock-hard kiwi, a green banana, a persimmon that is still sour. Some fruit "needs a few more days"; other fruit should be eaten the day you buy it. The difference is whether the fruit ripens after picking. If you do not know which is which, you end up with fruit that stays hard in the fridge for ever. Japanese supermarkets sell plenty of both kinds, so here is the sorting.

Fruit that ripens after picking, and fruit that does not

Using ethylene, and avoiding it

• What ethylene is: a plant-hormone gas that fruit produces itself, driving ripening. Damaged fruit gives off large amounts of ethylene, so one rotten piece spoils its neighbours fast. Remove damaged fruit at once.
• Bananas: separate them from the bunch, wrap the stems in cling film, or hang them on a banana stand to delay blackening. Once ripe, you can freeze them, skin and all (for smoothies).
• Avocados: buy them hard and ripen at room temperature (2–5 days), then refrigerate when ready (they keep 2–3 days). Once cut, leave the stone in, brush the flesh with lemon juice and wrap.
• Kiwis: put hard kiwis in a bag with an apple for 2–3 days. Ripe kiwis keep a week in the fridge.
• Peaches: ripen at room temperature for 1–2 days, then refrigerate 2–3 hours before eating (over-chilling dulls the sweetness). Wrap in paper and keep out of sunlight.
• Persimmons: for astringent persimmons (shibugaki), dab shōchū spirit on the calyx and seal in a bag for a week to remove the astringency. Sweet persimmons (amagaki) can be eaten as soon as you buy them.
• Strawberries and grapes: wash only just before eating (moisture leads to mould); refrigerate in the pack and eat within 2–3 days.
• Mikan: a boxful spoils from the bottom, so open the box, let air in and remove any damaged fruit. Better in a well-ventilated spot at 5–10°C than in the fridge.

[Verify] The classification of which fruit ripens after picking and how much ethylene each produces follows the general consensus in agricultural and food science. Check against material from MAFF and fruit-tree research institutes.

Misunderstanding 1｜Fruit goes straight into the fridge

Fruit that ripens after picking stops ripening in the fridge and stays hard. Room temperature until ready, then the fridge.

Misunderstanding 2｜Strawberries and grapes get sweeter if you leave them

Fruit that does not ripen further is at its best when bought; leaving it only lets it spoil. Refrigerate at once and eat soon.

Misunderstanding 3｜Apples can be stored with anything

Apples give off a lot of ethylene and spoil leafy greens, cucumbers and kiwis fast. Keep them separate or bagged. Storing them with potatoes, on the other hand, is a plus.

Misunderstanding 4｜Bananas keep longer in the fridge

Below 13°C the skin blackens (chilling injury) and they look unappetising. Hang them at room temperature and freeze them, skin on, once ripe.

Misunderstanding 5｜One damaged piece of fruit can stay in the bowl

Damaged fruit gives off large amounts of ethylene and spoils everything around it quickly. Remove it as soon as you spot it.

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Sources

• Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), "Storing fruit well and reducing food loss" [果物の上手な保存方法と食品ロス削減]

https://www.maff.go.jp/j/shokusan/recycle/syoku_loss/

• NARO Institute of Fruit Tree and Tea Science [農研機構 果樹茶業研究部門], "Fruit ripening and ethylene" [果実の追熟とエチレン]

https://www.naro.go.jp/laboratory/nifts/

• Tokyo Metropolitan Central Wholesale Market, "Storing fruit and knowing when it is ready" [くだものの保存と食べごろ]

https://www.shijou.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/

⚠️ Editorial note: the source URLs above were identified by search. Our working environment cannot reach go.jp domains, so the contents have not been checked against the text. Verify every source before publication and record who checked it and when.

About this article

What we share here are ideas and everyday practices passed down among people living in Japan, together with general information drawn from public sources. They are not official recommendations, and they are not professional instruction. Practices vary between households and regions.

This is general information. Results vary from person to person and depend on your own conditions and surroundings.

Please decide for yourself, using your own judgement, whether any of this suits your situation. We cannot accept responsibility for any damage, loss or injury arising from following this article.

Some ingredients need thorough cooking. Eat raw only foods that are sold for raw consumption. If you have allergies, check the ingredients.

Sources

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