How Long Does Plums Last?

An underripe plum should finish ripening at room temperature, the same rule that applies to peaches and nectarines, and once ripe it holds for about 3-5 days in the fridge — a gentle give near the stem is the sign of ripeness, similar to a peach.

A shriveled or wrinkled skin, a very soft or mushy texture throughout, and a fermented smell replacing the plum's normal sweet-tart scent are the signs it's declined past its best. Mold, typically starting at the stem scar, means the plum should be discarded rather than trimmed around, since a plum's soft flesh doesn't contain mold's spread the way a firmer fruit's structure might.

A plum's dusty, pale coating, similar to a blueberry's protective bloom, is a natural and harmless characteristic rather than a sign of mold or pesticide residue — it can be gently rubbed off, but its presence alone says nothing about whether the fruit underneath is fresh or starting to decline.

A plum stored in the crisper drawer's higher-humidity setting, if the fridge offers that option, holds up a bit longer than one in a standard shelf, since plums lose moisture and shrivel faster in a drier environment than the humidity-controlled drawer provides.

A plum kept apart from ethylene-sensitive vegetables in the fridge avoids accelerating the ripening of whatever else is sharing that shelf.

See Plums's full storage & shelf-life guide (with spoilage signs) →