I regularly buy organic fruits for my family. I tend to buy it a little hard so that it gets ripe in a couple of days. My problem is that the fruit is rotting too quickly. It seems that after a day in the fruit bowl, parts of the peaches, nectarines and other soft-skinned fruit go bad.
Any ideas about what I should do? Should I keep soft-skinned fruit and other fruit separate?
I've found that storing peaches & nectarines in a paper bag helps them to ripen well. And for any fruits or veggies that I put in the refrigerator, I've found that the Debbie Meyer green bags really work great in helping them keep longer. I just finished up some grapes that were still crisp and tasted great and I bought them almost two weeks ago!
If you keep your apples from the other fruits, that could help, as gases in the apples make other fruits ripen quicker.
Hi C.,
My husband works in produce and says that organics have no preservatives, so they need to be eaten same day or so. He also says that by mixing the fruit in one bowl is a problem. The fruits release different gases and ripens them faster, especially apples affecting the others. We usually keep all our fruit in the fridge separately and wash them as needed. My husband never lets me wash so that the kids can just grab, the fruit goes bad faster after being washed and then put in the fridge. Hope this helps some.
N.
In a bowel on a shelf in the fridge. Most pitted fruit will keep for about 2 weeks that way. Apples and pears for a rediculous amount of time.
Most stone fruit can be stored in the fridge and will last longer that way. Google fruit or vegetable storage and you can find specifics. Apples actually do better in the fridge, tomatoes lose flavor in the fridge. Each kind of produce has an optimal storage solutiuon. We also buy our produce twice a week to help keep from going bad.
I take a few farmers market fruits that I know we won't get to and cut them and freeze them. That way I can use them in smoothies and they don't go bad. Also I put them in my daughters oatmeal and quinoa cereal. They get all mushy which is gross, but she's only 18mos and likes it
I've found that a fruit bowl is not the best place to ripen fruit. The fruit gets a little mushed. Laying them out on a tray with space around out of direct sun light. I also move them to the fridge as soon as they might be ripe. This works for avocados too. You can store them in the fridge after ripening for at least a week.
But also I agree with another mom who said that your problem is bruising.
Use Debbie Meyer green bags. There is a harmless substance on the inside of the bag that absorbs the gases given off in the ripening process so the fruit keeps longer. You can reuse the bags several times after use and washing. The absorbant material rinses off after several washings so the bags need to be replaced. I've seen Debbie Meyer green plastic storage containers too. I don't know if they have a longer use time after being washed. Don't wash the fruit before storing it in the bags. Refrigeration always helps- except with bananas-they get a funny texture.
PS if you want to ripen something more quickly- put it in a brown bag and roll the top closed. The gases given off by fruit during the ripening process stay in the bag to help ripen the fruit . Putting an apple in the bag with other fruit makes the ripening process even faster.
Hi C.- you may be bruising them before they go into the bowl. Peaches, nectarines etc. are VERY fragile even when hard. They bruise, you won't even know at the time, and then the bruised parts appear to have gone bad in a day or so. Try putting them in a bowl or hard container from the store home and then handling very carefully while they ripen. Good luck!
I keep pretty much all my fruit in the fridge (I do not wash them before they go in there). The only fruit I keep out until they are a little riper is bananas, the to the fridge (the outside may be brown, but the inside stays nice and yellow). Othewise, I take out the fruit for the day in the morning, so it's not so cold and ripens a little. My apples have kept for about 2 weeks, nectarines at least a full week (I buy both organic and non-organic fruti).
We buy those green bags and store fruits & veggies (by kind) in the bags in the crisper... and they last a lot longer. You can buy them at Bed Bath & Beyond for $10 and probably a lot of other places too.
Hi C.,
I agree with treating soft skinned fruit gently. Also make sure you aren't storing them next to apples as apples will ripen fruit quickly.
L.
We have a metal wire fruit bowl from Crate and Barrel that I love, but I don't put fruit in anymore. It seemed to go bad so quickly...maybe somthing to do with the metal?? Now I keep soft skinned fruit in the frig and it lasts much longer. Good luck!
Keeping them in a paper bag (grocery bag) in the refrigerator will help them keep longer, but still ripen up nicely. Or keep them loose in the fruit drawer of your fridge. Never keep them in a plastic bag, inside or outside the fridge.
Keep a schedule and note book.
Avoid keeping fruit together..
By the green fruit storage bags...
make smoothies...
