It’s hot. We’ve all noticed it this week. It’s been difficult to work in the sun for too long before the prospects of air conditioning or swimming win over weeding. We worked for a few hours at Mujeres this week before the thoughts of icy drinks won over everyone’s desire to work. Oh well – that’s the nature of a Kentucky summer!
Anyway, now that tomatoes are finally starting to ripen, zucchini are abundant, and all plants are starting to produce fruit, it’s important to know how to store produce once you harvest it. I grew up thinking that most things – with the exception of bananas – absolutely HAD to be refrigerated. Once I actually began living on my own, I started to realize that there are certain vegetables that shouldn’t be refrigerated, because refrigeration actually speeds up their ripening process.
Some fruits and vegetables release a gas called ethylene, which may speed up ripening if refrigerated or placed with other vegetables that are not gas-releasing vegetables. Here’s a basic list taken from vegetariantimes.com that outlines what produce to refrigerate and what produce to keep away from the fridge:
REFRIGERATE THESE:
Apples
Apricots
Canteloupe
Figs
Honeydew
DON’T REFRIGERATE THESE:
Avocados
Bananas, unripe
Nectarines
Peaches
Pears
Plums
Tomatoes
Bananas, ripe
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Cucumbers
Eggplant
Lettuce and other leafy greens
Parsley
Peas
Peppers
Squash
Sweet potatoes
Watermelon
I didn’t know much of this. Thanks for the info!
Cool! Good to know!