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Everyone knows this: Fruits or vegetables that are only a few days old already become moldy and mix with fertilizer. This is not only expensive, but also unnecessary waste, which attracts insects to the kitchen. Danilo Christen is head of the fruit breeding group in the Alps region at the Agroscope research center for agriculture, nutrition and environment in Switzerland. He knows how to keep the damage as small as possible when dealing with fruits and vegetables.
Important to know: Once a fruit is picked, it continues to “live,” meaning the withering process continues. This is exactly the difficulty of storage: This natural phenomenon can cause some physiological diseases in the fruit. “These diseases cause the pulp or skin and core of the fruit to turn brown,” he explains. “If that happens, the fruits will spoil.” There is a difference between spoiled fruit and rotten fruit: If the fruit turns brown, it is spoiled, if it is infected with fungus (mould), it is rotten.
Ripe fruit in the store
You can now tell whether a fruit is edible or not by its appearance. So how can one determine whether a fruit is ripe? On the producer side, harvest maturity is discussed. It is determined by measuring various indicators: firmness, acidity, sugar content and starch content of the fruit. The so-called “consumer maturity” is a highly subjective term that is closely linked to the taste preferences of each individual. “If we want to please the majority of consumers, we assume that the fruit is ripe when the balance between sugar and acid is reached,” Christen explains.
It’s also a matter of consistency; The fruit should not be too hard or too soft. It’s all a matter of taste here too: Some like crunchy pears, others prefer softer pears.
By “commercial maturity” we mean the maturity of the fruit at which it should be in storage. If the fruit had been harvested when ripe, it would have already spoiled by the time it arrived in the country – or was about to arrive there. Another reason why farmers pick unripe fruit is Drosophila suzukii, a mosquito introduced to Asia. “They are more harmful than the mosquitoes that buzz around our kitchens because they pierce the fruit while it is still on the tree,” says Christen. Picking the fruit early will prevent the insect from laying eggs there.
Only buy pears individually
But if the fruit is in the store and then at home, the question arises of how it should be stored. Danilo Christen says: “First of all, it depends on which species it is. Of course, the shelf life of apricots is much shorter than apples.” You can buy apples by the kilo. “But you should always buy pears in pieces because they are harder to store at home.”
The correct storage temperature is also important: In the refrigerator at 4 degrees, fruits in our region can last between two days and four weeks.
Trim off brown spots and discard mushy berries
Another important point for good fruit preservation: avoid storing species together. Fruits naturally produce ethylene, a gas responsible for their aging, especially loss of firmness. This is the case with bananas, for example. A very ripe banana can be placed next to still green bananas to speed up the ripening process.
According to Danilo Christen, aging of the fruit has no effect on our health, but it can slightly change the taste. Brown spots can be easily cut away. Things are different when it comes to fungal infestations: “Even if you remove the visible rot, there is still a risk that the filaments of the fungus will support the growth of some toxins.” Therefore: It is better to throw away rotten fruits.
Source : Blick
I am Dawid Malan, a news reporter for 24 Instant News. I specialize in celebrity and entertainment news, writing stories that capture the attention of readers from all walks of life. My work has been featured in some of the world’s leading publications and I am passionate about delivering quality content to my readers.
