Iowa Ag Connection - One Bad Apple Can Spoil the Whole Bunch

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One Bad Apple Can Spoil the Whole Bunch
Iowa Ag Connection - 08/24/2016

We've all heard the old proverb, "One bad apple can spoil the whole bunch." While the proverb applies to things other than apples, it is actually a true fact for several varieties of fruits and vegetables.

This proverb is the premise for an article titled 'Store Fresh Garden Produce Properly' by Linda Naeve, program specialist with Value Added Agriculture with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. The article appears in the Summer 2016 issue of the Acreage Living newsletter.

"Where you store your fresh garden produce determines how long it will retain its quality," said Naeve. "Some crops must be refrigerated as soon after harvest as possible and with other crops, such as tomatoes and potatoes, it isn't necessary nor recommended."

Ethylene, or the ripening hormone, is the reason that storage location, temperature, quality of product and what they are stored with makes a difference in produce's storage life.

refrigerator produceSome fruits and vegetables are high ethylene producers, and some produce very little. Those that emit larger amounts of ethylene are called "climacteric" and those that produce very little amounts are called "non-climacteric." A table is provided within the article showing several fruits and vegetables and their classification as ethylene producers.

The Summer 2016 issue of the newsletter also contains articles titled:

-- Setting the Table for Iowa's Favorite Farmland Birds

-- Don't Sweat Summer Energy Bills

-- Identifying Ticks First Step in Preventing Lyme Disease

-- "Can" a Few Wrens for your Garden

-- Research Supports Adding Monarch Breeding Habitat to Iowa's Landscape

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