Top Tips to Keep Fruits and Veggies Fresh Longer

Variety of fresh fruit and vegetables

Do you sometimes bring home too many carrots, cucumbers and fresh lettuce, only to find them spoil and become rubbery carrots, slimy cucumbers and rusty lettuce? We have all done this at times.

Science can answer some of this problem. Some fruits and vegetables are climacteric, that is, they emit ‘ethylene’ gas, which helps them ripen over time. When these foods are stored next to ethylene sensitive fruits and veggies, they will spoil much quicker. We cannot see or smell this gas. The reason that a bruised apple spoils much quicker is because of this gas at work.

Some ethylene-producing plants are: tomatoes, avocados, bananas, pears, peaches, nectarines, mangoes, apricots, honeydew melons & kiwi fruit. These can be stored together.

Here are the Few Tips

Common fruits & veggies sensitive to ethylene are: apples, lettuce and other greens, broccoli, eggplant, green beans, carrots, potato, asparagus, water melon & cucumbers. Keep these foods separate from those above and watch your fruit and vegetables last longer!

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