Do You Have to Refrigerate Strawberries?

Your strawberries should be fine. You can safely store fresh, whole strawberries at room temperature, says the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

That said, you should always try to refrigerate your strawberry purchases as soon as you get home from the store.

The reason is that strawberries are highly perishable and do not ripen after being picked — leaving them at room temperature will only speed up their decay.