SAEDNEWS: Potatoes are one of the most commonly used vegetables in every household; therefore, you should know that storing potatoes next to certain fruits and vegetables can cause them to spoil.
According to SAEDNEWS, Potatoes are among the most popular vegetables because they are easy to cook and can be used in a wide variety of dishes, which makes them very versatile. However, storing potatoes next to certain foods can cause them to spoil more quickly, forcing you to throw them away. In this section, we provide more information about this issue.
If you want your potatoes to stay fresh for a longer period, you should never store them near fruits like apples. This is because apples produce a high level of ethylene gas, which speeds up the spoilage of potatoes. The riper the apple becomes, the more ethylene gas it releases, and the greater the damage it can cause to potatoes.
Apples are not the only fruits that produce ethylene gas. While apples release a relatively high amount of this gas, they are not the only ones responsible for this effect. Fruits such as apricots, avocados, bananas, melons, mangoes, peaches, pears, plums, tomatoes, and plantains also belong to this category and should be stored away from potatoes because they produce ethylene gas.
If you want your fruits or vegetables to ripen faster, placing them next to any of the items mentioned above can help speed up the process. However, fully ripened fruits and vegetables should not be stored alongside them, as this can cause them to spoil more quickly instead of improving their ripening.
Harvest time and fruit type play an important role in determining the amount of ethylene gas produced. According to experts, harvesting fruits late in the season can lead to excessive ethylene production. For example, if apples are picked after they are fully ripened, they tend to spoil faster because their ethylene production increases. In addition, the variety of the apple also affects how much ethylene gas it produces.
Potatoes should be stored in a cool, dark environment away from other fruits and vegetables. Vegetable drawers are one of the best options for keeping them fresh for longer periods. They should be kept in a cold, dry place.
A dark environment is preferable, and a kitchen cabinet is usually a suitable choice. When potatoes spoil, they may turn green, develop a bitter taste, and emit an unpleasant odor. You might also notice sprouts, soft spots, or bumps forming on their surface. If any of these signs appear, it means the potatoes are starting to go bad.
