How to Slow the Rotting of Your Fruits and Vegetables

How often do you throw out fruits and vegetables? Probably at least once a week. You are not alone: 25 percent of all produce bought by Americans is thrown away, mostly due to spoilage. This is hard on our budgets and hard on the environment. There are ways to prolong the live of your fruits and vegetables and stop the waste. Read on to learn some.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Get your produce home and in the fridge as quickly as possible. Buy it last in the store so it doesn't get warm while you are shopping for the rest of your groceries.

2. Eat more perishable fruits and vegetables first. These include artichokes, asparagus, avocados, bananas, basil, broccoli, cherries, corn, dill, green beans, mushrooms, mustard greens, strawberries and watercress. Lettuce, pineapple, grapes, limes, cucumbers, and eggplant while follow quickly behind. Other fruits and vegetables may last up to a week or longer.

3. Do not store fruits or vegetables in airtight bags. This prevents them from releasing gases and breathing. When fruits and vegetables are suffocated, they will spoil faster.

4. Always store produce whole, even with stems attached. When fruit and vegetables are broken apart, the decay process will speed up.

5. Most fruits and vegetables should be refrigerated, with a few exceptions. This slows the release of gases and allows the produce to last longer.

6. Never refrigerate potatoes, onions, winter squash, or garlic. These should be stored seperate from each other in a cool, dark, and dry place.

7. Be careful what fruits and vegetables you store together. Some produce releases ethylene gas. This gas speeds up the decay process of ethylene sensitive vegetables and fruit. Gas releasers that should be refrigerated separately include apples, apricots, cantaloupe, figs, and honeydew. Gas releasers that should not be refrigerated but should be stored separately include avocados, unripe bananas, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums and tomatoes.

8. Buy a gadget that absorbs ethylene gas and can be put in the crisper drawer. You can also buy produce bags that absorb ethylene gas and allow for breathing.

[tracysmith159]

on 6/10/2009 Thanks for the tips. I'm learning how I can keep the vegetable from my garden longer. I have tomatoes and cucumber.