tsquared
06-26-2007, 03:45 AM
June 25, 2007 (NBC) - When it comes to food, it's all about the company you keep. Fruits and veggies look great at a meal, but they don't always get along once you put them in the refrigerator. That can make the difference between them ending up on the dinner table or in the trash.
Anna Hamrick enjoys fresh salad, but sometimes, even the best intentions end up getting spoiled.
"I had real good intentions, when I was shopping, to eat lots of vegetables, and then I find out the zucchini went bad or the lettuce went bad," Hamrick said.
So why does good fruit go bad?
Janet Little from Henry's Market says it happens all the time.
"Twenty-five percent of the produce that they purchase gets thrown out the door because it rots," Little said.
The problem is how we mix and match our fruits and vegetables in the refrigerator. You see, some fruits emit ethylene gas causing veggies to quickly ripen.
"You should not put an artichoke and peaches together, because this (the peach) will release that ethylene gas, this (the artichoke) will absorb it, and this (the artichoke) will get rotten within just a couple of days," Little said.
It's the same reason you don't want to put cantaloupes together with lettuce, or apples with tomatoes.
"Don't put them (tomatoes) next to apples in the refrigerator,” Little said. “Once again, apples are a gas releaser and tomatoes are a gas absorber, so they'll (tomatoes) go rotten really quickly."
Most people don't worry about it, which is why one study says we throw away on average 470 pounds of food a year.
"We just buy everything at the store, we throw it all in the crisper, all together, and those gases are released and it ripens everything and in two days you're throwing it away," Little said.
The gas-releasing fruits include apples, apricots, cantaloupes, figs, and honeydew. Keep them away from bananas, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, and any other leafy greens.
Once you learn the guidelines, there will be fewer unpleasant discoveries when you open up the fridge.
Anna Hamrick enjoys fresh salad, but sometimes, even the best intentions end up getting spoiled.
"I had real good intentions, when I was shopping, to eat lots of vegetables, and then I find out the zucchini went bad or the lettuce went bad," Hamrick said.
So why does good fruit go bad?
Janet Little from Henry's Market says it happens all the time.
"Twenty-five percent of the produce that they purchase gets thrown out the door because it rots," Little said.
The problem is how we mix and match our fruits and vegetables in the refrigerator. You see, some fruits emit ethylene gas causing veggies to quickly ripen.
"You should not put an artichoke and peaches together, because this (the peach) will release that ethylene gas, this (the artichoke) will absorb it, and this (the artichoke) will get rotten within just a couple of days," Little said.
It's the same reason you don't want to put cantaloupes together with lettuce, or apples with tomatoes.
"Don't put them (tomatoes) next to apples in the refrigerator,” Little said. “Once again, apples are a gas releaser and tomatoes are a gas absorber, so they'll (tomatoes) go rotten really quickly."
Most people don't worry about it, which is why one study says we throw away on average 470 pounds of food a year.
"We just buy everything at the store, we throw it all in the crisper, all together, and those gases are released and it ripens everything and in two days you're throwing it away," Little said.
The gas-releasing fruits include apples, apricots, cantaloupes, figs, and honeydew. Keep them away from bananas, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, and any other leafy greens.
Once you learn the guidelines, there will be fewer unpleasant discoveries when you open up the fridge.