Can I just buy some fruit and put it in the refrigerator? (superior)

Did you know that fruits can also catch colds? Did you know that you need to cool down the fruits you buy home? Everyone loves to eat fruit, but not everyone knows how to preserve it properly!

Does this scene often happen in your home? On weekends, we go to the supermarket to buy a lot of fruits, and then put all the fruits in the refrigerator when we get home. We also have to take out some rotten or moldy fruits from time to time. This not only wastes money but also food... "Fruit preservation" seems simple, but if you want to eat fresh and delicious fruits, you must learn how to preserve them correctly.

Fruits actually breathe

The fruit you buy from the market is still a living individual, so it will continue to undergo "respiration" and "evaporation". Chen Ruyin, a researcher at the Food Industry Development Institute, said that the so-called respiration is the process by which fruits maintain their life. After being harvested, they will continue to decompose and consume their own nutrients to generate energy and maintain vitality. Moreover, the stronger the respiration, the more the body is consumed, and the faster the fruit will deteriorate. Fruits also undergo "evaporation", which means that water gradually escapes from the surface of the peel. Generally speaking, the water content of fruit is about 80% to 90%. The stronger the evaporation, the more water will be lost, and the worse the appearance quality will become.

In addition, some fruits (such as apples, pears, mangoes, etc.) will produce "ethylene" when they ripen. Ethylene is a plant hormone, a colorless and odorless gas that accelerates the ripening and aging of fruits. The higher the temperature at which the fruit is stored, the more ethylene will be released, which will affect the quality of the fruit.

Based on the above characteristics of fruits, it can be known that the key to storing fruits is to reduce their respiration, evaporation and ethylene production, and to pay attention to the growth of microorganisms. Therefore, after consumers buy fruits, the most common storage method they use is to put them in the refrigerator. The low temperature environment in the refrigerator can indeed achieve the above purpose and prolong the freshness of the fruits.

However, not all fruits are suitable for refrigeration. Chen Ruyin said that some fruits will suffer from chilling injury or low-temperature disorder, and the storage temperature cannot be too low. Many tropical fruits belong to this category, such as bananas and mangoes. Some fruits do not have this phenomenon and can be placed in a lower temperature environment. Most temperate fruits belong to this category, such as apples and peaches.

Refrigerate or keep at room temperature? No standard answer

Fruits themselves have inherent storage period limitations, and whether the storage conditions are good will also affect the storage period. However, the suitable storage temperature for each fruit is different, so temperature is one of the key conditions. However, home refrigerators are different from commercial cold storages. They only have a single storage unit, and the refrigeration temperature must meet the requirements for storing most foods. Therefore, it is generally recommended to set it at 4°C to 5°C. Although this temperature is not suitable for all fruits and vegetables, it is a good turnover condition for most foods.

If the refrigerator does not provide a temperature display function, the simplest method is to use a thermometer to measure and monitor the refrigerator temperature. However, the temperature of the refrigerator's refrigerator compartment will change with the outside temperature and the amount of food placed in it, so the refrigerator settings must be adjusted accordingly. Li Jijin, deputy manager of the Wang Liugong Agricultural Production and Marketing Foundation, said that he believes that most people do not understand and cannot remember the suitable temperatures for various fruits. Therefore, the general principle is that temperate fruits are suitable for refrigeration, and tropical fruits (such as bananas) can be kept at room temperature, in a cool and well-ventilated place. Refrigeration will cause the flesh to deteriorate due to cold damage. For example, the appearance of bananas will turn black and the flesh will become rotten. (to be continued)

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