The Only Way You Should Store Cantaloupe, According to a Farmer

My husband and I have more fresh fruit around the kitchen in the summer than any other time of the year, and I’m always trying to remember: Which ones go in the fridge, and which ones can stay on the counter? Right now, I have a cantaloupe (one of my favorites) but I'm left wondering the best way to store it.

I talked to Bruce L. Frasier, president of Dixondale Farms, a 112-year-old family farm and the largest cantaloupe grower in South Texas to answer my question.

How To Store Whole Cantaloupe

If you’re bringing a whole cantaloupe home from the store or farmers market, you can keep it on the counter or in the fridge, depending on when you’re going to eat it.

“If you plan to eat your cantaloupe within a day or two, storing it at room temperature on the counter is fine,” Frasier says. “Otherwise, cantaloupes should be stored in the refrigerator to prevent them ripening too quickly.”

The riper the melon, the shorter it will keep. A freshly harvested cantaloupe should last five to 15 days in a refrigerator. If you buy it from the grocery store, it should keep in the fridge for about five days. “You can store it in the coolest drawer of your refrigerator to ensure optimal freshness,” says Frasier.

How To Store Cut Cantaloupe

After you’ve cut your cantaloupe—or if you’ve brought it home from the store already cut—make sure to store it in the refrigerator. “An airtight container is best and will extend the storage for one week after being cut up,” Frasier suggests. You can also wrap the cut cantaloupe pieces tightly in plastic wrap before refrigerating.

The best spot in the fridge is the coolest spot, which is typically near the back or in the crisper drawer, he adds. According to other experts, the best storage temperature for cantaloupe is between 36°F and 41°F. Humidity should be at least 95% to help keep the melon from drying out (humidity is typically higher in the crisper, which is why that’s the best spot).

“If you store it whole, refrigerate it first. Once you cut it up, store it in an airtight container in the crisper drawer—it can last two to three weeks,” Frasier says.

He suggests cutting cantaloupe into chunks instead of slices to make them last longer. “Slices will start deteriorating from the rind inward so cubing them will extend shelf life,” he explains.

A Note About Washing Cantaloupe

It’s important that you thoroughly wash the outside of the melon before slicing, experts warn. If you don’t, bacteria and dirt on the rind could be transferred with the knife into the pulpy fruit.

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration recommends washing a cantaloupe under running water and using a scrub brush on the rind. Don’t wash a cantaloupe until right before you’re ready to cut it; washing and storing could encourage mold and bacteria to grow.