Selfsufficientish.com

hi all
nice forum and full of information nice
have a little problem and I know it has probably been asked befor but I need to know,
I buy fruit from the supermarket and it is not lasting at all, it seems to be going off in a mattter of days
what is happening
I buy the fruit put it in our fruit bowl in days its going very soft why!!
is it me or has fruit change ie life of fruit
your help please
thanks
jonesjones

Welcome to the site

I think your problem has something to do with them refrigerating fruit at the supermarket - fruit and veg shouldn't be chilled but they do at the shops because it keeps it fresher for longer when in store.
However when you take it home the increase in temperature brings on a fast ripening process which means it goes off quickly. You won't have the same problem in winter.

If you try to get your fruit from a greengrocers instead you might find that it lasts longer as it won't have been refrigerated to the same extent.

hi
thank you for your comments and I feel you are wright
regards
jonesjones

I keep all fruit in the fridge and only get it out just before I want to eat it - depending on the ripeness of the fruit. Bananas, apples, oranges and lemons will last for ages in the fridge and most other fruit will last up to a week, depending on whether you are buying peaches etc firm or squidgy. I always buy firm fruit then a couple of days in the fruit bowl ripens them to just right and the rest will be good in the fridge for up to a week, until I can go and buy more!

yes i keep most of my fruit in the fridge until i want it, if its still unripe i stick it in a carrier bag with a banana overnight, works a treat!

Following on from what Emma said; bananas and apples will actually speed up the ripening of fruit and this can work for or against you. To prolong the life of your other fruit, keep apples and bananas separately.

Ooh thanks Clara, i never knew that about apples as well. I always make sure my apples aren't touching when I store them (I have a cardboard tray with apple sized dimples from a greengrocer) and that seems to keep them for longer - providing the tray is clean (I just found a rotten apple because a bit of compost had somehow got in its dimple)

I have heard there is some sort of plastic 'egg' that you can put in the fridge with your fruit that will keep it from ripening too quickly, something to do with restricting the ethylene gas?? But I can't vouch for its effectiveness as fruit doesn't last too long here. I think its called Stay Fresh?