The fridge mistake that could be making your vegetables go off quicker
From not getting the right temperature, to not making the most of fridge space, there are plenty of things we’re doing wrong when it comes to using our refrigerators. And one of the biggest errors is probably causing your veggies to go off much quicker than they should.
If you’re the person that throws all their fruit and vegetables in the bottom drawer together, you might want to rethink. Why? Because certain fruits release gases that can cause vegetables to ripen much quicker than need be.
“Putting bananas near vegetables can cause them to ripen quickly, in particular broccoli, potatoes, asparagus, carrots, aubergines and green beans,” warns Cher Loh, the Head Tutor at the Good Housekeeping Cookery School.
“It’s not just bananas that produce ethylene – other fruits do too as they ripen, such as apples, kiwis, mangos, plums, peaches, apricots and pears. That is why it’s a good idea to keep fruits separate from vegetables.”
Ethylene is an invisible and non-smelling hydrocarbon gas that naturally occurs during the ripening process of some fruits.
According to a report by Washington State University, ethylene is thought of as “the ageing hormone” in plants as it’s responsible for the changes in texture, softening, colour and other processes involved in ripening.
This means that to avoid spoiling your fresh vegetables, it’s best to leave your fruit out of the fridge, or in a separate drawer.
And you should avoid putting unripe bananas in the fridge full stop, as the cold environment stops a banana ripening completely.
“The peel will go brown and spotty, while the flesh inside remains unripe,” Cher explains.
“The ethylene gas given off in bananas helps them ripen at room temperature, which makes them taste sweet and soft.”
And it’s not just the vegetable drawer that you should be tackling. Putting foods in the right places in the fridge can help produce last much longer.
Yes, it’s easy to stuff food anywhere in the fridge, but strategically stacking your shelves will help the longevity of the product.
Eggs for example are best on the middle shelf at a consistent temperature, while butter and soft cheeses can go in the fridge door, as they don’t need to be in the coldest part.
It’s especially important to keep raw meat, poultry and fish away from other foods to avoid contamination, and to always ensure packaging is tightly sealed on these products. Store uncooked meat and seafood on the lowest shelf of your fridge to prevent the juices from leaking and dripping on to other foods.
So, spending a little longer putting your food shop away could result in longer lasting produce.
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