It’s no secret that when it comes to keeping produce fresh for extended periods, cold is generally king.
However, if you’re like many people and just throw everything in the fridge without too much thought, you’ve likely been left scratching your head when some of your produce turns faster than expected. Perhaps you placed your lovely fresh Kale in the same crisper bin as your Apples, only to find a few days later your Kale has turned into a yellow wilted mess. In this case, the culprit is likely Ethylene.
What is Ethylene?
Ethylene is a hormone released by plants in a gas form. It provokes fruits to sweeten, seeds to sprout and leaves to wither. Some fruits and vegetables produce high amounts of ethylene while others are more susceptible to it’s effects.
It is a key component in the ripening process, which if managed correctly, you can take advantage of; for instance, placing unripe tomatoes in a closed paper bag, concentrating the ethylene levels and therefore accelerating the ripening process. On the other hand, disregarding Ethylene emitters and miss managing your storage can result in premature decay of some of your food.
Creating ideal environments for each and every fruit and vegetable can be a tall order, but following a few simple principles can help you extended to their storage life.
Avoid storing Ethylene sensitive produce with high emitters:
Keep in mind that placing high emitters together (e.g in a fruit bowl) will also accelerate the ripening of their neighbours.
| Ethylene Sensitive | High Ethylene Emitter |
|---|---|
| Asparagus Blackberries Broccoli Brussels sprouts Cabbage Carrots Cauliflower Cucumbers Eggplant Kale Lettuce Onions Parsley Peas Peppers Raspberries Squash Spinach Strawberries Sweet potatoes Watercress Watermelon Zucchini |
Apples Apricots Avocados Bananas Blueberries Canteloupe Figs Green Onions Honeydew Kiwifruit Mangoes Nectarines Papayas Peaches Pears Plums Prunes Potatoes Tomatoes |
Fridge, Counter-top or Pantry?
So now that Ethylene has been dealt with, where should you store what? Not everything needs to be refrigerated. In fact, various produce might be worse off if you refrigerate them. Some best ripen upon the counter before being moved to the fridge.
| Counter (Unripe) Fridge (Ripe) |
Fridge – Crisper Draw | Pantry / Cool, Dark |
|---|---|---|
| Apricots Avocados Apples Bananas Cantaloupes Citrus Honeydews Kiwifruits Mangoes Nectarines Papayas Passionfruit Peaches Pears Pineapples Plums |
Asparagus Blackberries Blueberries Broccoli Brussels sprouts Cabbage Carrots Cauliflower Cherries Cucumbers Eggplant Figs Grapes Green Beans Herbs Kales Leeks Lettuce Parsley Peas Peppers Raspberries Squash Spinach Strawberries Watercress Watermelon Zucchini |
Garlic Onions Potatoes Shallots Sweet Potatoes Tomatoes Winter Squash |
If you really want to to get the most longevity out of your fruit and vegetables, you may need to create specific environments such as: wrapping individual fruits, buying a fridge with multiple humidity controlled containers, or possibly building a root cellar.
But on top of following the above guidelines, there are some small products on the market to help you manage Ethylene such as the Ethyline Gas Guardian (or E.G.G) which you can pop in your fridge to absorb ethylene gases.
If you’re so inclined you can even look into low-tech storage solutions that avoid using a refrigerator altogether, such as those outlined on by Jihyun Ryon’s “Save Food from the Refrigerator” project.
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