Should certain produce types be stored separately?
First, let’s introduce a little gaseous hydrocarbon called ethylene. Ethylene is a plant hormone responsible for plant growth, development, and survival.
Second, let's clarify what is a fruit versus a vegetable. A fruit is a botanical term referring to the seed bearing organ of a flowering plant. A vegetable is a culinary construct that generally refers to the parts of a plant that humans eat: bulb (onion), root (carrot), leaf (lettuce), or stem (celery). Some commonly known “vegetables” are in fact botanically fruits. For example, tomatoes, peppers, green beans, eggplants, avocados, corn, zucchini, and more are, scientifically-speaking, fruits.
What effects does ethylene have specifically on various fruits and vegetables?
Climacteric fruits (fruits that continue to ripen off the plant) produce high concentrations of ethylene and are highly sensitive to it. Ethylene modulates different biochemical processes that control color, texture, sweetness, and aromas of fruits. Climacteric fruits include:
Apples
Apricots
Avocados
Bananas
Mangoes
Melons
Tomatoes
Pears
Peaches
Cantaloupe
Storing climacteric fruits together and with other ethylene sensitive vegetables has it’s caveats. The saying “a rotten apple spoils the bunch” is scientifically true. A rotten or overripe apple, a climacteric fruit, reeks of ethylene, which will permeate through the entire bunch. It will accelerate the ripening process, more quickly leading to rot. Since it is a gas, ethylene spreads like wildfire (fun fact, wild fires also release ethylene).
Non-climacteric fruits (fruits that stop ripening once off the plant) produce little to no ethylene and are not sensitive to it. These include:
Berries (blackberries, strawberries, and raspberries)
Cherries
Cucumbers
Lemons
Limes
Pineapples
These fruits can be stored where you wish since they will neither impact nor be impacted by other fruits and vegetables.
“Vegetables,” or the other edible parts of plants that are not fruits (think potatoes, carrots, rhubarb), may or may not be ethylene sensitive depending on the species and part of the plant.
Ethylene sensitive vegetables include
Broccoli
Brussel Sprouts
Cabbage
Celery
Lettuce
Storing these together is fine because they are not heavy ethylene producers, but keep away from climacteric fruits.
Ethylene insensitive vegetables include
Beets
Cauliflower
Garlic
Onions
Turnips
These can be stored as you wish.
Click here for Michigan State’s more extensive list of ethylene sensitive and non sensitive produce and how to optimally store them
Can I store my produce in plastic bags?
Storing climacteric fruits together in a plastic bag accelerates the ripening process because it concentrates the ethylene gas.
If you do want to accelerate ripening, try putting climacteric fruits in a loosely sealed brown paper bag instead of a plastic bag which traps moisture and promotes mold growth.
Sources
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