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DID
YOU KNOW ??
Domestic refrigerators
have been found to have as much
as 100 times the recommended
levels of ethylene gas for fresh
produce storage.
Using KeepFresh
will eliminate any ethylene
gas and keep your produce fresh
for longer.
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Separate fruit and vegetables in
storage
Separate ethylene producing items
from ethylene sensitive items for storage.
In general, fruits give off more ethylene
than vegetables, and vegetables are more
sensitive to the harmful effects of ethylene.
Two crisper bins is always best and you
should use one crisper bin for fruits and
the other for vegetables. You can check
which items are ethylene producers and which
are ethylene sensitive by visiting our Produce
Reference Chart.
One bad apple will spoil the lot
Decayed or damaged produce will produce
much higher levels of ethylene than normal.
In addition, mould and fungal spores can
easily transfer from one piece to another.
You should sort through your produce before
storing them in your fridge and discard
any items that are decaying or damaged.
Speed ripening works
You can use ripening bowls with a top on
them or paper bags to ripen fruits that
are not yet ready to be eaten. These work
by trapping the ethylene gas which accelerates
the ripening process. For rapid results
place other high ethylene producing produce
items in the bowl or bag also (eg: bananas,
apples) to increase the ethylene production.
Use plastic bags
Most fresh produce requires humidity levels
of 80-95% for best storage results but your
refrigerator humidity level is only about
65%. So keep your produce in plastic bags
to stop them from dehydrating, particularly
products like leafy greens and others that
do not have an outer skin of their own.
Don’t soak away nutrients
Soaking leaches nutrients so you should
avoid soaking fruits and vegetables in water
for too long. Water-soluble vitamins and
minerals can leach into the water and diminish
the nutrient value when you eat them.
Mold & mildew is easily spread.
Regularly clean your crisper bin to prevent
mold and bacteria from growing and transferring
to your produce. Mould and mildew can be
transferred from one surface to another
very easily and rotting fruits and vegetables
produce significantly more ethylene than
fresh product.
Remove toxins
You should cut off the tops and outermost
leaves of leafy vegetables such as lettuce
and cabbage before putting them in the fridge.
Any toxic residues from agricultural chemicals
and fertilizers may reside in these outer
leaves. Remember to always wash your produce
in clean water before use.
Not all produce needs the fridge
Not all produce needs refrigeration. Potatoes
and Onions for example should be stored
in a cool dry place in the cupboard or pantry.
Bananas will go black when placed in the
fridge and tomatoes will be tastier if stored
at room temperature.
No plastic bags for mushrooms
Mushrooms are 90% water and will go slimy
if stored in plastic bags. They will also
absorb odours if stored with other foods
that have a strong odour. Always store your
mushrooms in paper bags.
Skin is nutrient packed
Many nutrients are concentrated just beneath
the skin of fruit and vegetables. Avoid
peeling them when you can. Even if you don't
eat the skin, try to leave it on as the
fruit or vegetable cooks to preserve nutrients.
Hold off chopping until ready to
eat
Cutting or chopping foods high in Vitamin
C releases an enzyme that can destroy the
vitamin. It's best to leave fruit and vegetables
whole until they're ready to eat.
Fresh cuts
When fresh produce is cut, enzymes will
cause darkening on the cut surface due to
the increased presence of oxygen. It is
best to keep cut produce tightly wrapped
and to eat them as soon as possible.
Delay salad browning
Leafy greens like lettuce and cabbage will
stay fresh for longer when cut if they are
dipped in hot water (50 degrees C) for 30
seconds. The heat shock causes a reaction
which reduces production of the enzyme which
causes browning.
Lemon juice for fruit salad
Squeeze lemon juice on your fruit salad
to keep it from browning rapidly. The acidic
lemon juice counteracts the browning enzyme
in fruits.
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us your Storage Tip!
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