When it comes to food storage, it is tempting to envision a harmonious coexistence where all foods thrive together, much like the wish for people to just get along. However, the reality in both cases is much more complex. While I always advocate for culinary creativity, especially in crafting inventive stir-fries or smoothies from what you already have in your refrigerator, not all foods are compatible when it comes to storing them, especially fruits and vegetables.

Despite the common inclination to use the crisper drawer or a countertop fruit bowl for storage, this practice may inadvertently compromise the freshness of your produce when you mix and match the produce you store in them due to a gas called ethylene.

To better understand ethylene, let's first talk about climacteric foods versus those considered non-climacteric. As you are probably aware, but may not have given much thought to, some fruits and vegetables you buy will continue ripening after you bring them home from the store; these are called climacteric foods. Others are picked at their full ripeness and will not continue to ripen. These are your non-climacteric foods.

So, what is ethylene and why does it matter? Ethylene is a hydrocarbon gas (C2H4) that acts as a plant hormone. It is produced naturally by fruits and vegetables and influences natural activities and functions within plants, such as ripening, flowering, and aging. When a fruit produces ethylene, it communicates with other fruits and vegetables, essentially saying, "It's time to ripen!" This induces the ripening process in nearby ethylene-sensitive produce.

Climacteric foods produce ethylene and respond to it by undergoing significant changes in texture, color, and flavor during the ripening process. Common climacteric fruits include bananas, apples, tomatoes, and avocados. Non-climacteric fruits can produce ethylene, but they do not exhibit the same level of responsiveness as climacteric fruits. Ethylene does not trigger significant ripening in non-climacteric fruits. Examples of non-climacteric fruits include strawberries, grapes, and citrus fruits.

Knowing that ethylene can speed up the ripening of certain fruits and vegetables, it's advisable to store ethylene-producing items away from ethylene-sensitive ones. This separation prevents premature ripening and helps extend the freshness of the entire batch.

As it pertains to being mindful in the kitchen, if we don't manage the ethylene conversation between different fruits and vegetables, produce might decide to ripen too soon or too late. This obviously makes it hard to gauge timing and when produce will be under-ripe, just ripe enough, or overripe.

For effective storage, it's recommended to keep ethylene-producing fruits like apples, bananas, and tomatoes separate from ethylene-sensitive items like berries, leafy greens, and carrots. This separation minimizes the risk of accelerated ripening and ensures that each type of produce maintains its optimal quality. We will cover more about storing food in the refrigerator and understanding the way refrigerator spaces are designed to be used so that you keep all food fresh. But today, it's about which produce plays nicely together and which do not.

Get Downloadable PDF