The Good and the Bad of Ethylene

There are fruits that do not ripen further once harvested. Other fruits will continue to ripen after being harvested because they naturally produce a gas called ethylene (such as apples, tomatoes, and bananas). Ethylene is naturally occurring gas which is odourless and colourless.

Ethylene triggers the ripening process; this in turn produces more ethylene gas, which further accelerates the ripening process. When fruits and vegetables start to decay, they also emit ethylene. Excess amounts of ethylene circulates in enclosed areas, such as the refrigerator, causing all nearby fruits and vegetables to start to ripen and decay as well.

We can use ethylene to our advantage. If your bananas are too green, for example, put them in a closed paper bag with a ripe tomato or apple. The ethylene released by the tomato or apple will help ripen the bananas more quickly, so check them every day.

Where ethylene is a problem is in places like the crisper drawer of the refrigerator. To help minimize the problems, always remove any over-ripe items promptly. You will also want to store ethylene producers (mostly fruits) from ethylene-sensitive items (mostly vegetables), as the latter will spoil very quickly if stored with the former.

High ethylene creators:
Apples, apricots, avocados, ripening bananas, blueberries, cantaloupe, citrus fruit (except for grapefruit), cranberries, figs, guavas, grapes, green onions, honeydew, ripe kiwi fruit, mangoes, melons, mushrooms, nectarines, okra, papayas, passion fruit, peaches, pears, peppers, persimmons, pineapple, plantains, plums, prunes, quinces, tomatoes, and watermelon.

Most sensitive to ethylene:
Asparagus, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, chard, cucumbers, cut flowers, eggplant, endive, escarole, florist greens, green beans, kale, kiwi fruit, leafy greens, lettuce, parsley, peas, peppers, potatoes, potted plants, romaine lettuce, spinach, squash, sweet potatoes, watercress, and yams.

NaturzAire products

Green Earth Organics is pleased to be carrying NaturAire products as added help in the fight against excess ethylene (and against unpleasant odours too). We are offering three of this Canadian company's products to start. To see their whole line, check out their website, and let us know if there's anything else you want us to start carrying.

All three products are organic cotton pouches filled with a naturally occurring volcanic mineral. There are no added chemicals or fragrances. The products are scent-free, effective, and safe to use around children, pets, and persons with asthma or chemical sensitivities. The pouches are infinitely reusable: just recharge in hot sun or fresh air and reuse over and over again.

Fridge Deodorizer: Odours are positively charged and NaturzAire products have a negative charge, so they attract odours like a magnet. Odours then become trapped inside the millions of tiny cages inside the naturally occurring volcanic mineral. Use it in your fridge instead of baking soda to keep everything smelling fresh. The fridge product also absorbs excess moisture in the fridge, which reduces condensation build-up and increases the appliance's energy efficiency (it takes more energy to move wet air than dry air).

Home Deodorizer: Working the same way as the Fridge Deodorizer, one pouch will eliminate odours in an area up to eight feet for months before needing to be recharged.

Produce Keeper: The same odour-absorbing mineral also absorbs ethylene gas and moisture, so pop it in your produce drawer to help your fruits and veggies last longer.