"Last week, I discovered something growing in my pantry that looked like it belonged in a science fiction movie. My potatoes had sprouted tentacles that would make an octopus jealous, while my onions had turned into a mushy, tear-inducing mess. The culprit? I'd stored them together in the same basket, thinking I was being clever about saving space. Turns out, I'd created the perfect storm for produce disaster."
"When potatoes and onions hang out together, they're essentially sabotaging each other through chemical warfare. According to the Food Network Kitchen, "Onions produce ethylene gas, a gas that causes potatoes to spoil prematurely." Think of ethylene as the troublemaker of the produce world. While onions are busy releasing this gas, your innocent potatoes are absorbing it like sponges. The result? Those spuds start sprouting way before their time, developing green spots, and turning soft in all the wrong places."
Storing potatoes and onions together causes rapid spoilage. Onions emit ethylene gas that triggers premature potato sprouting, green discoloration, and softening. Onions also release excess moisture that creates a humid environment promoting potato sprouting. Visible signs include long sprouting tentacles on potatoes and mushy, deteriorated onions. The practice of keeping these vegetables in the same basket accelerates their aging and reduces shelf life. Separating potatoes and onions prevents the ethylene- and moisture-driven interactions that lead to early spoilage. Keeping each vegetable in appropriate, separate storage conditions preserves quality and reduces waste.
Read at Silicon Canals
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