WATCH FOR ETHYLENE

This guide can give you insight into the seasonality of fruits and vegetables throughout the year, to help you plan your menu. Seasonal produce in your area will vary by growing conditions and weather.

• Many fruits give off ethylene – a natural, colorless and odorless gas that promotes ripening. Fruits such as apples, ripe tree fruits, ripe avocados and ripe kiwifruit are high producers of this gas
• While ethylene is often used to accelerate and promote even ripening of fruits such as bananas and avocados, it can wreak havoc with other produce items that are adversely affected by ethylene
• Many fresh fruits and vegetables such as lettuce, leafy greens, green beans, soft shell squash, eggplants, honeydews, cantaloupes, apples and potatoes are sensitive to ethylene
• To maintain top-quality fruits and vegetables, keep ethylene-producing fruits separate from those items that are sensitive to the gas and can be damaged by it