If you buy a watermelon to eat in a few days' time, should you store it in the fridge or at room temperature? A study at the US South Central Agricultural Research Laboratory in Oklahoma shows that room temperature storage is far preferable as far as health nutrients are concerned.

The researchers analysed the carotenoid content of several varieties of watermelon, picked when ripe and stored for two weeks, either at 21°C (room temperature) or 5°C (fridge temperature). Carotenoids are natural antioxidants linked to various health benefits. It turned out that ripe watermelons continued to synthesize carotenoids at 21°C storage, while the carotenoid content of their refrigerated counterparts did not change. The research is published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.