Fresh fruit in the summertime is a delight, and there’s nothing better than sinking your teeth into a juicy, ripe peach off the tree. Perhaps that’s why it’s so hard for us Southerners to stomach a mealy, hard peach from the refrigerator—we know how good it can be!

There are more than a few fruits that simply don’t need to be refrigerated (unless, of course, you’re trying to slow down the ripening process—and we’ve been there). We chatted with Ellerslie McCue at the North Carolina Agricultural Commissioner’s office and Michelle McKenzie of Bellair Farm to learn a little more about the nuances of fruits and refrigeration: What fruits can do without? It’s helpful to know, especially if you need to make room in the fridge for iced sweet tea, all summer long.

Fruits That Don’t Need Refrigeration

The rules for refrigeration when it comes to fruit aren’t as hard and fast as they are, say, with vegetables. Our reasons for not refrigerating veggies have more to do with taste preferences than anything else—the way our taste buds work means that the closer to room temperature the fruit, the sweeter it’ll taste. That’s why the peach tastes so good off the tree, and why berries are so good off the vine.

Stone fruit: Stone fruits like peaches, plums, apricots, and pluots can become mealy when stored in the fridge. They suit just fine in a cool, dry spot on the counter. For best freshness for longer, store them stem side down, and do not stack them on top of each other.

Apples: While apples might stay fresher for longer in the cold temperatures of the refrigerator, they don’t absolutely need to stay in the fridge.

Bananas, pineapples, and fruits with a tough exterior: Most fruits with a firm or waxy exterior do not need to be refrigerated. In fact, their ripening is made all the sweeter at room temperatures!

Citrus: While you can, of course, put your clementine cuties in the fridge if you enjoy them cold, they do not need to be kept cool.

Farmers’ Tips For Storing Fruit

Though technically a member of the stone fruit family, berries like blackberries, blueberries, and strawberries have little droplets of flesh that are delicate and best kept at low temperatures. They should also be eaten within three days, according to McKenzie, for best quality of taste.

McCue recommends cleaning berries well for optimal freshness by letting them sit in a combination of one cup vinegar to three cups water. Drain and dry them off, then place them in a container lined with paper towels.