This simple trick will keep your vegetables fresher for much longer - YOU Magazine Fashion Beauty Celebrity Health Life Relationships Horoscopes Food Interiors Travel Sign in Welcome!Log into your account Forgot your password? Password recovery Recover your password Search Sign in Welcome! Log into your account Forgot your password? Get help Password recovery Recover your password A password will be e-mailed to you. YOU Magazine Fashion Beauty Celebrity Health Life Relationships Horoscopes Food Interiors Travel Home Food This simple trick will keep your vegetables fresher for much longer By You Magazine - February 15, 2019 Are you the type to throw all of your fruit and vegetables together in the drawers of your fridge? You’re not alone. In fact, many of us are guilty of it. But it turns out it is the last thing we should be doing if we want to keep our greens alive. You may not have been aware of this, but certain fruits release gases that can cause your vegetables to ripen much quicker than usual, which is why the two should always be kept separate. Getty Images Cher Loh, the Head Tutor at the Good Housekeeping Cookery School, explained this, saying: ‘Putting bananas near vegetables can cause them to ripen quickly, in particular broccoli, potatoes, asparagus, carrots, aubergines and green beans. ‘It’s not just bananas that produce ethylene [a non-smelling hydrocarbon gas that naturally occurs during the ripening process of some fruits] – other fruits do too as they ripen, such as apples, kiwis, mangos, plums, peaches, apricots and pears. That is why it’s a good idea to keep fruits separate from vegetables.’ Ethylene is believed to be ‘the ageing hormone’ in plants as it is responsible for the changes in texture, softening, colour and other processes involved in ripening, according to a report from Washington State University. Getty Images Therefore, it is best to leave your fruit out of the fridge if possible, or at least in a separate drawer to avoid spoiling your fresh vegetables – especially when it comes to bananas. In fact, Cher warns that unripe bananas should be kept out of the fridge altogether as the cold environment stops a banana ripening completely. ‘The peel will go brown and spotty, while the flesh inside remains unripe,’ she said. ‘The ethylene gas given off in bananas helps them ripen at room temperature, which makes them taste sweet and soft.’ RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR Kids can eat for free at these restaurants during October half-term How to make the viral negroni sbagliato with prosecco at home 7 Halloween recipes with serious hex factor Popular in Food Gabriela Peacock 14-day plan Anytime baked eggs May 23, 2021 Joe Wicks’ maple-glazed chicken thighs with Asian slaw June 6, 2021 Mary Berry is returning to TV screens for a brand new June 15, 2021 Eleanor Maidment My summer taste notes July 4, 2021 Uyen Luu’ s sticky mustard marmalade ribs July 25, 2021 Annie Bell’ s white peach bellinis recipe August 8, 2021 M& S has launched a new crunchy Caramilk-inspired golden chocolate spread August 24, 2021 Deliciously preserved pickle and jam recipes September 19, 2021 Gordon Ramsay’ s bang bang cauliflower October 3, 2021 Wow right now Clodagh McKenna’ s speedy family dinners October 24, 2021 Popular CategoriesFood2704Life2496Fashion2240Beauty1738Celebrity1261Interiors684 Sign up for YOUMail Thanks for subscribing Please check your email to confirm (If you don't see the email, check the spam box) Fashion Beauty Celebrity Life Food Privacy & Cookies T&C Copyright 2022 - YOU Magazine. All Rights Reserved