The foods you shouldn't store together | The Times of India (2024)

FAQs

What foods should not be stored together? ›

That is because fruits release ethylene gas, which spoils things faster. It is best to store your apples in the fridge and oranges should be stored away from apples. Also, it is best to put oranges in a mesh bag to allow the air to circulate around them.

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.

Ideally, store raw and ready-to-eat food in separate fridges, freezers and display units. If they are in the same unit, store raw meat, poultry, fish and eggs below ready-to-eat food. Unwashed fruit and vegetables should also be kept separate from ready-to-eat food and above raw meat.

This is why, health experts recommend avoiding acidic and sub-acidic fruits like lemon, pomegranate, strawberries, etc with banana, which is sweet in nature. In fact, some studies have found that when eaten together, bananas and acidic fruits create issues like nausea, headache et al.

Answer. The storage guidelines for potatoes, onions, and garlic are similar in that they all can be stored in a cool, dry, dark and ventilated area, however, potatoes should not be stored with onions because they emit ethylene gas which speeds ripening and hastens potatoes to sprout and spoil.

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.)

Can carrots and cucumbers be stored together? ›

Exposure to ethylene can cause broccoli and cabbage to yellow, cucumbers to pit and carrots to turn bitter, Strawn says. Lettuce and other greens, as well as some herbs, can also discolor or droop in the presence of ethylene.

It's not just potatoes you need to worry about. Other produce that releases ethylene gas, such as apples, citrus, and bananas, will accelerate an onion's degradation, as will moisture-rich fruits such as melons and cucumbers, says Alibrandi. An onion's absorbent nature also means it easily picks up smells.

WHAT VEGETABLES SHOULD NOT BE REFRIGERATED? 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.

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.

SEPARATE. Raw animal foods such as meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, and unpasteurized milk products can contain harmful pathogens. Here's how to properly handle these foods to prevent cross-contamination - the spread of pathogens from foods, hands, utensils, or food preparation surfaces to another food.

Fresh bread should be stored in the cupboard

As bread loses its moisture, it becomes drier but, if you add a piece of unpeeled potato inside the bag, it will help your bread last longer. Storing your food correctly will prevent it from going off earlier than it needs to, helping you to reduce food waste.