 Optimizing storage of produce when you get it home is not as easy as it seems. There are a number of storage conditions that can affect the storage life of produce, including temperature, humidity and, of course, atmospheric ethylene. It seems that each variety has its own set of preferences. Tips for Storing Your Produce:
Each variety of produce has its own ethylene response profile. Some are ethylene emitters, some are damaged by it, and some are both. The only way to be sure that you are not storing incompatible varieties together is to eliminate the ethylene entirely! The refrigerator may be good at maintaining a storage temperature and humidity for produce that should be stored there. But, it creates a problem for any ethylene sensitive produce. It traps the ethylene generated by any thing in the refrigerator, allowing it to accumulate to damaging levels. Refrigerators are designed to force its cool air to all parts of the box. So, the produce drawers are not really isolated from each other. As a result storing in different drawers is only marginally effective. If you use the produce bags, part of their function is to prevent ethylene buildup around its contents by allowing the ethylene out of the bag. But that leaves the rest of the refrigerator with the accumulating ethylene. The answer is to remove all ethylene as it is generated.
Hence, the Ethylene Gas Guardian!! |
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| Understanding the optimum storage conditions for each variety of produce has been the topic of a lot of academic and industry research. Two of the best known and widely respected institutions are the University of California at Davis and Sydney Postharvest Laboratory. Although the information is oriented to industrial application, their sites have a great deal of information that is useful for home storage. |
