How to prolong the life of your fruit and veg

MAKING sure you store certain kinds of fruit and vegetables away from each other could save you up to $184 a year, a new study claims.

MAKING sure you store certain kinds of fruit and vegetables away from each other could save you up to $184 a year, a new study claims.

According to UK supermarket Sainsbury’s, keeping certain fruit and veg together is a recipe for disaster, and could lead to unnecessary wastage as a result.

This is because certain fruit and vegetables produce the gas ethylene when stored together.

The gas is released during the ripening process and can reduce the shelf-life of other fruit and vegetable nearby.

Bananas should be stored on their own, otherwise they could ruin the shelf-life of other fruits.

The supermarket has compiled a handy table showing which are best to store together and those to keep apart.

The move is all part of Sainsbury’s Waste Less, Save More campaign.

Spokesman Paul Crewe said: “Our guide gives new meaning to the word frenemies, highlighting certain fruits which just don’t get along.

“Apples and watermelons are long-term enemies while bananas don’t play well with others and should be kept on their own.

“But cherries are immune to the negative effects of the ethylene produced by others and can therefore be paired with a variety of partners.”

You should refrigerate berries and grapes immediately.

Apples, pears, apricots, bananas, kiwis, mangoes, peaches and plums all produce ethylene as they ripen — which results in changes in texture, softening and colour.

Potatoes and sweet potatoes should be kept somewhere cool and dark away from fruit to prevent any early sprouting.

Other produce particularly sensitive to ethylene include asparagus, broccoli, carrots, lettuce and green beans.

However, cherries and blueberries do not produce much ethylene and the gas won’t influence their ripening.

More tips on extending shelf life include keeping carrots, beetroot and parsnips in the fridge, and refrigerating berries and grapes immediately.

This article originally appeared on The Sun.

Originally published as How to prolong the life of your fruit and veg