What Makes Fruits & Vegetables Rot?

Cabbage

The sight of a rotting fruit or vegetable is unmistakable. It is very soft, slightly slimy, and may have a coating of mold on it. Once you pick a vegetable or fruit, it begins to deteriorate. You may not notice a change for several days or longer, but left on the counter or in the refrigerator long enough, all vegetables and fruits will eventually rot.

Becoming Inedible

Cut off from the rest of the plant, several types of vegetables will consume what nutrients remain in them until they are no longer edible. Broccoli and asparagus convert the sugar in their cells into lignin, which makes their stems woody and tough to eat. Celery uses up its water, making it limp.

Microbes

All fruits and vegetables have a variety of mold, yeast and bacteria on their surfaces. When these microbes are able to attack and consume most of the produce, fruits and vegetables rot. Microbes eat the cells of the vegetable or fruit and leave behind smelly and visible waste products.

Molds

Members of the species Penicillium are molds commonly found on fruits, particularly citrus. The molds cover the fruits with a bluish green fuzz, which causes them to dry out.

Bacteria

Erwinia bacteria cause what is known as "soft rot" in vegetables. The bacteria gets in the vegetables through bruises on the surface, causing the vegetables to turn to mush.

Precut Produce

Vegetables and fruits that are pre-cut may be convenient, but they often rot faster than whole produce. Cutting causes tissue damage in fruits and vegetables, forcing them to use remaining nutrient stores quicker. Cutting also exposes the inside of the fruit or vegetable to microbes.

References

• On Food and Cooking; Harold McGee; 2004
• University of Georgia: Bacterial Soft Rot of Vegetables