5 fruits and vegetables which should never be stored together

Do you often buy fruits and vegetables in bulk and simply stuff them up in your refrigerator for days and weeks, and find them rotten or spoiled very often? Then you need to read this before buying your next stock as we have decoded some veggies and fruits that are prone to spoilage due to several factors. Here’s all you need to know about the fruits and veggies you must never store together to avoid wastage.

Why are certain fruits and vegetables prone to spoilage?
There’s no denying that in most Indian households, there are certain fruits and vegetables that are reactive in nature and should never be stored together. This is majorly due to their differing levels of ethylene gas production, moisture content, and ripening speeds, which can lead to faster spoilage or changes in texture and flavor. Here are five combinations to avoid storing together along with some simple hacks to store fresh produce and increase their shelf life.



Onions and Potatoes
In most households, people store these two root veggies together or in the same basket, believing that they won’t rot only to discover them completely spoiled! Much like other veggies, onions also produce ethylene gas, which speeds up the sprouting and spoiling of potatoes. This is also due to the moisture content in potatoes that turn onions moldy faster than expected. Thus, it is best to store both separately in cool, dark, and well-ventilated places, ideally outside the refrigerator.

Tomatoes and Cucumbers
Tomatoes are also prone to faster spoilage, they emit ethylene that accelerates the process of ripening, on the other hand cucumbers also have high moisture content that are sensitive to ethylene gas production. In fact, storing them together causes cucumbers to spoil quickly and tomatoes to lose flavor and texture. A simple tip to store tomatoes is that they should be kept at room temperature and only refrigerated once they are fully ripe. Cucumbers are best stored in the fridge’s crisper drawer wrapped in a paper towel or perforated plastic to control moisture.



Apples and Carrots
This is another common fruit and veggie, which may taste better together in a salad. However, storing them may not be a great idea and this is because apples release ethylene gas that often interacts with carrots and leads to faster ripening and rotting. In fact, both can be refrigerated but must be stored in separate drawers or containers to prevent ethylene exposure. Carrots prefer high humidity storage whereas apples need lower humidity.


Peaches and Bananas
Bananas emit a significant amount of ethylene gas that hastens the ripening and spoilage of peaches if stored together. To preserve their freshness, store peaches at room temperature or refrigerated once ripe in one container, and keep bananas separately at room temperature away from other ethylene-sensitive fruits.

Blueberries and Strawberries
Strawberries are heavier and can crush delicate blueberries, leading to quicker spoilage. Additionally, ethylene from strawberries can cause blueberries to soften and mold. Thus, they should be stored separately in shallow, ventilated containers, ideally refrigerated with blueberries kept in the coldest part and strawberries in a less cold section.


Best way to store fruits and vegetables
To begin with, use separate crisper drawers for fruits and vegetables in the refrigerator. Vegetables prefer high humidity drawers; fruits do better in low humidity drawers.

Store ethylene-producing fruits like apples, bananas, and peaches separately from ethylene-sensitive vegetables like carrots and cucumbers.

Keep onions and potatoes in a cool, dark, well-ventilated pantry, but not together. Use perforated plastic bags or wrap vegetables like cucumbers and leafy greens in paper towels to maintain moisture without excess condensation.
Avoid washing produce until just before use to reduce mold and spoilage.