Fresh Produce That Shouldn't Be Stored Together (2024)

FAQs

Fresh Produce That Shouldn't Be Stored Together? ›

It is important to store fruits and vegetables separately because some fruits give off a gas called ethylene glycol which quickens ripening and may cause spoilage in some vegetables. Also, some fruits absorb odors from vegetables making them unpalatable.

It is important to store fruits and vegetables separately because some fruits give off a gas called ethylene glycol which quickens ripening and may cause spoilage in some vegetables. Also, some fruits absorb odors from vegetables making them unpalatable.

Vegetables that should not be refrigerated include avocados, bell peppers, onions and potatoes. Some vegetables that you may want to refrigerate include mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach and asparagus.

When certain fruits and vegetable are stored together, they cause early spoilage. When fruits approach maturity, they release ethylene. Ethylene promotes the ripening of fruit. It can cause premature ripening in some foods, while in others it can actually cause damage.

Ethylene-Producing Fruits and Vegetables

“To be safe, just store the ethylene-producers away from other produce, by themselves, and not in sealed bags or containers,” Grant-Vose suggests. “Celery, peppers, potatoes, and tomatoes also produce a moderate amount of ethylene,” Hill adds.

Just because you carry all your fresh produce home from the market in the same bag doesn't mean they can all be stored together. Some fruits like apples, bananas, citrus, and tomatoes give off ethylene gas as they ripen, which can also speed up the ripening process of other vegetables stored nearby.

Storing fruits and vegetables together is not recommended. Apples and potatoes, stored together, produce ethylene gas which will make both apples and potatoes rot. Apples, pears, grapes and other fruits also can absorb odors from potatoes and other vegetables.

If you store ethylene-producing produce with ethylene-sensitive produce, the latter can over-ripen, becoming soft and spoiling faster. Instead, store avocados on their own or near other climacteric fruits (if you plan to enjoy them as soon as they are ripe), such as apples, tomatoes, cantaloupes, pears and peaches.

The Short Answer: Don't Refrigerate Tomatoes

The standard rule is to keep tomatoes out of the refrigerator. It all comes down to science: Tomatoes contain an enzyme that reacts to cold temperatures, causing the cell membranes to break down and leaving you with a piece of fruit that's mushy and mealy.

Why shouldn't you put bananas in the fridge? ›

Bananas grow in hot climates, so they are unused to the cold. If they're kept at a cold temperature, the enzymes that enable them to ripen are inhibited. And as those enzymes become inactive, other enzymes operate more efficiently. Some cause cell damage, while others (browning enzymes) cause the skin to blacken.

Whole onions don't need to go in the refrigerator—in fact, it's actually not a good place to store them. The fridge is a cold and humid environment, which can cause onions to soften and spoil. The best place to keep whole onions is somewhere dark, cool, dry, and well-ventilated.

Do you remember the old saying "one bad apple spoils the bunch?" It turns out it's true that apples help other fruits ripen more quickly and this is the reason they shouldn't be stored together. Kiwis, mangoes, bananas and other ethylene-producing fruit can result in early spoilage and lead to food waste.

But there are many vegetables that are starchy in nature, such as corns, potatoes, cowpeas, black-eyed peas and water chestnuts. You should never mix them with high protein fruits and vegetables such as raisins, guava, spinach and broccoli.

Onions also give off a little ethylene. When you put the tomato and the onion together, you increase the presence of ethylene, to the detriment of both. To reduce the ethylene, don't store onions and tomatoes together. (Onions will make potatoes get soft, too.)