Few can brag about buying or getting fresh fruit every day. Everyone else has to buy apples, pears, apricots and other sweet, bright, fragrant gifts of nature in large quantities and think about how to store them correctly, allowing them to remain just as appetizing day after day.
A few general rules
All plucked vegetables and fruits emit a special gas, odorless, tasteless and harmful. This gas is called ethylene and it speeds up maturation. Different types of fruits release ethylene in different amounts. Bananas and apples give off the most gas. That is why, if you want to speed up the ripening of any fruits, put them in one bag with the indicated types of fruits. Conversely, carefully avoid contact of fruits with each other if they are in the last stage of ripeness. To do this, put each type of fruit in a separate plastic or dense paper bag with perforation. Special boxes lined with light straws or containers with light indentations are perfect for storing fruit.
Unripe fruits can also be left to ripen just at room temperature, but as soon as they reach ripeness, put in the refrigerator. For several days, no more than 2-3, fruits can also lie in a vase on the kitchen table, but only on condition that the sun's rays fall on them, from their influence the fruits will deteriorate faster.
Citrus fruits can be stored in nets, they do not need to be kept in the refrigerator, or they can be put in a dark, well-ventilated place. However, in the cold they will last a little longer. The same goes for apples. Citruses can sit outdoors for a week, apples up to two.
How to store peaches, apricots and plums
Although peaches and apricots ripen after being removed from the tree, the fruits do not accumulate sugar after that. That is, an unripe peach or apricot will become softer over time, but not sweeter. For the fruits to ripen, they must be placed in a tight paper bag with a banana or apple for up to 24 hours.
Do not wash peaches, apricots and plums before storing. They can be left for 2-3 days at room temperature, in a dark place, provided that there is enough free space between the fruits. If you need to keep them longer, put them in a bag in the special compartment of the refrigerator. This will prolong the "life" of the fetus by 2-3 days.
How to store exotic fruits
Sweet and ripe mangoes can be stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. At room temperature and in a paper bag, they can ripen to the maximum, but only on condition that the fruit was picked half-ripe. Green mangoes will change color, but they will have a special taste, some say, similar to turpentine.
Ripe papaya can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week. At room temperature, you risk not noticing how the fruit turns into porridge.
Pineapples seem like fruits that can be stored for a very long time, but they are not. At room temperature, pineapples remain at the desired degree of maturity for no more than two days. Further, the fruit will become more and more acidic. Refrigeration will extend the life of the fetus up to five days. If you want to keep the pineapple longer, peel it, cut it into slices, and fill it with the juice it has released. So the fruit will lie for about seven to ten days.
How to store pomegranates and kiwi
Pomegranates and kiwi are record-breaking fruits. Whole, unpeeled pomegranates can be stored for up to a month in a cool, dry place and up to two in the refrigerator. Kiwis can stay fresh and juicy for up to two weeks if refrigerated.
