Have you ever found yourself throwing all your fruits and vegetables onto a single kitchen rack? Are you tired of throwing away your produce prematurely? Then you are not alone. Throwing away fruits and vegetables prematurely is not only a waste of money but also a waste of food. However, the secret to keeping your groceries fresh may not be how you store them – but rather who they’re stored with. Some foods do not gel well – due to ethylene gas – and can spoil their counterparts. Wondering which food pairings are good and which aren’t? If you want to keep your produce and pantry staples looking their best, let’s learn about six common foods you should never store together.
Also read: Should you eat fruits before or after meals?
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Here Are 6 Food Pairs That Shouldn’t Be Stored Together
1. Apple and Banana
The Most Unexpected Fruit Combination While apples and bananas are delicious together in desserts, storing them together is a recipe disaster. This is because apples release ethylene gas which speeds up the ripening process of bananas. This means that your bananas can go from completely yellow to brown and mushy in no time. For maximum freshness, keep the bananas on the counter while keeping the apples in a separate location, like the fridge. Trust us, your fruit bowl will thank you.
2. Onion and Potato
Have you ever wondered why onion and potato – two staple food items of Indian cuisine – are not kept together in one place? Well, that’s because the moisture and gases released from the potatoes can cause the onions to sprout and spoil faster. Onions, on the other hand, can make potatoes soft and mushy. To avoid this double spoilage of your produce, be sure to store it in a cool, dry place – separate from each other.
3. Tomatoes and Cucumbers
Yes, both can be kept in the fridge but take care not to keep them together. Tomatoes and cucumbers are a classic salad combo, but not a good one when it comes to storage. Tomatoes produce ethylene gas, which can cause cucumbers to quickly become soft and slimy. To keep both fresh, keep tomatoes at room temperature and cucumbers in the refrigerator. Keep them together only while cooking or making a nice salad.
Photo: iStock
4. Bananas and other fruits
As mentioned above, bananas are a powerhouse of ethylene, so storing them with other fruits can cause your produce to spoil faster. Fruits like berries, avocados and apples spoil more quickly than bananas. Solution? Keep bananas in their own fruit basket, away from the rest of your fruit stash.
5. Garlic and Fresh Herbs
Fresh herbs like coriander, basil and parsley are delicate and highly absorbent, making it important to store them near pungent foods like garlic. The strong aroma of garlic can overpower your herbs, losing their flavor and freshness. Store your garlic in a cool, dry place and wrap your herbs in a damp paper towel in the refrigerator. This way, it will remain fresh for longer.
6. Apple and Carrot
Storing apples and carrots may seem harmless, but it’s not ideal. Apples release ethylene gas which can cause the carrots to lose their crispness. This will make the carrots limp instead of crisp. To avoid this, keep apples in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator and carrots in a separate bag or container. Both will remain fresh and crisp for a long time.
Also read: Eat these 7 calcium rich fruits for healthy bones and teeth
