by Shannon Del Vecchio

© Krzysztof Slusarczyk | Dreamstime.com

September 2011— 
First of all, do you know why fruits and vegetables spoil? Most living foods have a “rotting phase” that follows their “edible phase.” Why does that happen?

In nature, the purpose of the rotting phase is to transform the plant material into compost as quickly as possible to nourish the soil for the next generation of crops. The rotting phase is triggered by a plant gas called ethylene, which occurs naturally in most plant foods. Understanding the workings of ethylene is the key to storing fruits and vegetables.

One Bad Apple Really Does Spoil the Bunch

As a food begins to rot, it produces more and more ethylene. So if you have one apple that’s starting to rot, it will start pouring ethylene into the bag, causing the natural rotting cycles of the other apples to escalate as well. Immediately compost anything which has started to turn and you will extend the life of the remaining items.

Use Separate Bags for Each Type of Food

When you are only buying a few items, it can be tempting to throw an apple, a carrot and a bunch of parsley into the same bag, but this is a bad idea unless you are planning to consume everything as soon as you get home. Some foods emit more ethylene than others, and the high-emitting foods will cause the other foods in the bag to spoil more quickly. Bell peppers, for example, emit quite a large amount of ethylene compared to other foods. If you put a bell pepper into a bag with some lettuce, the rotting cycle of the lettuce will escalate dramatically compared to a bag of lettuce stored alone. Generally fruits generate more ethylene than vegetables.

Use Bags That Absorb Ethylene

One of the most significant things you can do to extend the edible phase of virtually all fruits and vegetables is to stop using regular plastic bags to store your produce, and start using bags which absorb ethylene. These “green bags” are all-natural, environmentally friendly, and can be reused for six months to a year before they start to lose their effectiveness. Bring them with you to the farmers market and load your fruits and veggies directly into these bags; you will be amazed at how much longer your produce lasts and how much better it tastes. Added bonus: No more plastic bags to throw into landfill!

Refrigerator or Countertop?

To ensure optimal taste and freshness, some fruits and vegetables should be stored in the refrigerator, whereas others should be stored on the countertop, out of direct sunlight. Below is a simple guide to which is which:

Store in refrigerator: all berries, apricots, cherries, figs, grapes, Asian pears, artichokes, asparagus, green beans, lima beans, beets, Belgian endive, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, green onions, herbs other than basil, leafy vegetables, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, peas, radishes, spinach, sprouts, summer squashes, corn, all cut fruits and vegetables.

Store on countertop: bananas, all citrus, mangoes, muskmelons, papayas, persimmons, whole pineapple, plantain, pomegranates, watermelons, dry onions, garlic, ginger, jicama, potatoes, pumpkins, winter squashes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, basil (with stems in a glass of water).

Either or both: cucumbers, eggplant, peppers and apples (store apples in refrigerator when keeping for more than seven days). Some fruits are best ripened on the counter and best stored in the refrigerator once they are ripe — these include avocadoes, kiwis, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums and plumcots.

A Bit of Grace

Fresh foods do go bad more quickly than packaged, canned or frozen foods, and it’s impossible to stay ahead of that all the time. You are going to lose some, and that’s fine. There are so many benefits to cooking and eating fresh foods that it is worth the risk! So just do what you can, and don’t worry too much when a few things spoil.

“The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, nor to worry about the future, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly.” — Siddhartha Gautama

Shannon Del Vecchio is a feng shui consultant and interior designer based in Pacifica and serving the entire Bay Area. For additional tips about living in harmony with nature, visit www.tranquilspaces.com.