For a long time, going to the grocery supermarket has become a routine and even something more than just buying food. Often we run into the store just to stare, to pass the time in the hope of finding something tasty. That is why most often our grocery basket is littered with goods bought spontaneously.

 

Not a couple: which fruits and vegetables should not be stored together.

 

For example, putting various fruits and vegetables in a cart, we put everything in the refrigerator when we return home, without thinking about the correct storage of them, hoping to eat the purchased products within a few days. But in the end, many goods are either rotten or taste bad. Why is this happening? Few people know, but it turns out that many fruits and vegetables cannot be stored together.

 

Bemorepanda figured out which foods should be stored separately so as not to end up throwing half of them in the trash later, which foods should be safely stored outside the refrigerator. You will learn how to improve the taste of food during storage, as well as what is needed to increase their shelf life.

 

Apples and carrots

Fruits and vegetables tend to release odors that are well absorbed by other foods, including absorbing each other's odors well. But there are also those who are superabsorbers.

 

A classic example is the smell of apples. When stored, apples give off a characteristic pungent odor that other fruits and vegetables can absorb. Especially carrots, which absorb the smells of other products well, including apples.

 

For this reason, experts advise keeping apples and carrots away from each other. By the way, cabbage, figs and onions also absorb the flavor of apples well. And remember, the closer fresh vegetables and fruits are to each other and the more enclosed the space where you store them, the more likely it is that the smells of the products will mix with each other.

 

Tip: Buy food storage containers and store vegetables and fruits in different containers.

 

Avocado and cucumber

Also, do not store avocados and cucumbers together. Reason: Avocado is a menopausal fruit (a fruit that is able to ripen after harvest). Cucumbers, on the other hand, are not able to become more mature after they have been removed from the garden.

 

Climacteric fruits after harvest, while continuing to ripen, will release a large amount of gaseous ethylene (saturated hydrocarbon C2H4). Non-climacteric fruits and vegetables emit very little (or no) ethylene gas, causing them to stop ripening after they are harvested.

 

If you store ethylene-releasing foods with ethylene-sensitive foods, the latter may become overripe, soft, and spoil more quickly. So if you put cucumbers and avocados together, there is a risk that the former will spoil quickly.

 

Instead, store avocados alone or alongside other menopausal fruits and vegetables (such as apples, tomatoes, cantaloupe, pears, and peaches). Store cucumbers with other non-menopausal vegetables and foods (such as leafy greens and root vegetables).

 

Tip: do not buy cucumbers in large quantities. Instead, buy something that you can realistically eat within a week. First, cucumbers bought at the grocery store usually didn't arrive on the counter straight from the garden and therefore may not be perfectly fresh. Secondly, they are often covered with a protective wax coating. If you keep them in the refrigerator for too long, they may spoil.

Climacteric fruits and vegetables should not be stored in the refrigerator. Otherwise, you will slow down their ripening process and spoil their taste.

 

Potato and onion

Potatoes and onions are best stored in a cool, dark place, but kept separate from each other because onions produce ethylene. The ethylene gas will quickly cause the potatoes to sprout.

 

In addition, potatoes can also absorb the odors of foods that are near them, including onions. While onions pair well with potatoes (in terms of flavor), storing them together can cause the potatoes to take on an onion flavor, which may not be desirable depending on what you intend to cook with them. The same goes for garlic.

 

To prolong the shelf life of potatoes, store them in a basket or open container and do not wash until just before cooking. Onions store onions in a cool, dark, well-ventilated place.

 

Tips:Place the onion in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before slicing it. So you protect yourself from "bitter" tears.

If you have extra onions after peeling and slicing, don't throw them away. Take a food storage container and put the onions in it, tightly closing the lid. This will protect other foods from the smell of onions.

Place some baking soda in the refrigerator to absorb the strong onion smell.

 

Tomatoes and bananas

Tomatoes and bananas have a lot in common: they are both ethylene-releasing menopausal fruits and are best stored on a countertop, kitchen counter, or windowsill at room temperature. So, can they be stored together then? Not so simple.

 

In fact, this pair of products cannot be stored together. The fact is that both fruits and vegetables that ripen quickly after harvest (for example, tomatoes, bananas, kiwi and melons) are best stored separately. If you keep them too close together, the high amount of ethylene they produce can cause them to ripen faster. And this means that vegetables and fruits can, quickly overripe, begin to rot (ferment).

 

Tip: Want to speed up the ripening process of a fruit or vegetable? In this case, if they release ethylene, store them next to each other. For example, this way you can speed up the ripening of a tomato. But do not miss the moment of full ripening, otherwise you will not have time to enjoy the aroma and taste of a ripe fruit.

 

Mushrooms and onions

White, yellow, and red onions and their cousin green onions have a very strong characteristic smell. Mushrooms, on the other hand, absorb water well, as well as odors. If you store mushrooms in the fruit and vegetable drawer along with onions, they will begin to absorb the onion smell. As a result, their taste will become like anything, but not mushrooms. However, they do not absorb the smell very quickly. Therefore, if you put onions with mushrooms together for one or two days, then they are unlikely to have time to absorb the onion flavor.

 

Tip: If you don't plan on using the mushrooms for five or more days, keep them away from onions (especially green ones) in a cardboard container or paper bag - mushrooms need a dry environment and these containers will absorb excess moisture. 

 

If you store it in a plastic bag, then you will not get rid of excess moisture, because condensation will form inside, which the mushrooms will immediately absorb. The same goes for plastic or glass containers.

 

Bell pepper and fresh herbs

Bell peppers are a relatively satisfying vegetable that does not require much care during storage, and it can be safely thrown into the refrigerator without bothering. But if you do the same when storing fresh herbs, you'll be disappointed when it's time to take the herbs out of the fridge. Especially if you put heavy bell peppers or other vegetables / fruits on top of the greens.

 

Tip: Herbs, especially green ones [such as parsley, cilantro, or dill], are rather tricky foods that can quickly go bad if not stored properly. If you plan to use store-bought greens soon, cut off the bottom of the stems, remove any wilted or brown leaves, put everything in a jar with a little water at the bottom, and place the container in the refrigerator.

 

Not only will this keep the greens fresh and flavorful, but it will also prevent them from changing appearance or being crushed under heavier vegetables. For example, under bell pepper, which will easily flatten any greens, which can speed up the process of its decomposition.