Leaving fruit that may be sat in a bowl on the side for days on end can result in it going off unless you take action to move it, an influencer has said
If you’ve gone on holiday and forgotten to empty the fruit bowl before you went, chances are you’ll return home to a fly-infested mush.
Items such as bananas can quickly perish, and if they’re sat under other fruits, the chances are their release of ethylene gas will send all the other items to ripen at rapid speed.
According to social media influencer and cleaning expert Anna Louisa, the best way to keep fruits fresher for longer is to transfer them from the bowl to the fridge. She explained: “Store leftover fruit from a fruit bowl in the fridge or freezer. If you leave fruit out in the open at room temperature, it can quickly ripen and become mouldy.
“Ripe, fermenting fruit attracts pests such as fruit flies that feed on the fruit and lay their eggs on it. If you do leave fruit in a bowl, add some basil leaves – they act as a natural fruit fly deterrent.”
READ MORE: Keep bananas fresh for 15 days by storing with 1 unusual item
Bananas seem to be the typical culprits for speeding up the ripening process of many others, with apples, pears and hard avocados falling victim to the ethylene process. But it’s not just the type of fruit you keep that can contribute to a mouldy mix.
The hot weather which many Brits have seen this last fortnight can also speed up the rates of ripening and microbial growth, accelerating decay and forcing it to lose all its nutrition.
READ MORE: M&S strawberries cream sandwich is ‘inspired’ by a part of the world you will never guess
How long does fruit last in the fridge?
The majority of fruits can be stored in the fridge for different periods. Some of them can last a few days, and others can remain fresh for weeks. Alternatively, if the holiday is longer than a week, travellers can store their fruits in the freezer to prolong their future use.
As written by Unlock Food, proper storage plays an important role. Also, sliced and cut fruit won’t last as long. It will need to be in an airtight container to retain its freshness and avoid becoming brown and inedible.
For instance, apples do quite well in the fridge, lasting between three to four weeks.
This is in comparison to other fruits such as bananas, berries, cherries, pears and strawberries, which can last between three to four days when refrigerated – a significantly shorter lifespan.