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Food Storage "Togetherness"
Yahoo Message Number: 158248
"Togetherness" Food Storage Tips

Many common fresh vegetables and fruits will lose quality or rot pretty quickly when stored together; the culprit is ethylene gas. Some fruits and vegetables produce it, others are sensitive to it, and the limited food storage options in most RVs can present challenges in keeping fresh produce fresh!

These two lists of "off-gassing" and "susceptible" vegetables and fruits isn't compete, but I think that most of what people are likely to have in their cupboards and refrigerators is listed.

Ethylene-producing foods:

Apples (really gassy!),  potatoes (don't store with the onions!), avocados, bananas (ripe ones; green bananas are sensitive), cantaloupe (and honeydew and like melons) , green onions,  grapes, peaches and nectarines, pears,  plums, tomatoes, apricots, blueberries and cranberries, figs, and papayas and mangoes.

Ethylene sensitive foods:

Onions, asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbages, and cauliflower, carrots, cucumbers, peppers (all), berries (all), spinach and chard, eggplant, string beans and peas,  "green leafies" and lettuces (all),  summer squashes (all), parsley, sweet potatoes, watermelon and citrus (lower susceptibility, but prone to mold).

Cherries may soften a bit, but they and corn (fresh in the husk) generally have a low susceptibility to the effects of ethylene.

If the incompatible produce is stored in the same bin or container, make sure that each is tightly plastic-bagged separately; if vegetables and fruits are damp from the grocery store or farmers' market, put a paper towel into the bag to absorb moisture and to slow deterioration.

Never store berries "wet"; wash them just before eating.

Joan (Farm wisdom! ;-))
2003 TK has a new home