Ethylene Table

Most fruits generate ethylene gas while they ripen. Products sensitive to ethylene gas, such as broccoli and bananas, will spoil quickly if stored in the same areas as ethylene producers. Keep your fruit and veggies apart and make your food last longer.

(Usually fruits produce ethylene, whereas vegetables are sensitive to it)

EP:Ethylene Producer

ES: Ethylene Sensitive

EN: Ethylene Neutral

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Crimson Seedless Grapes (EN) are grown by Oscar Carilla Farms in California. Crimson Seedless has rapidly become the preferred red seedless for supermarkets worldwide. Crimson has a sweet neutral juicy flavor and elongated berries that are light red in color. Particularly impressive is the crisp, firm texture of the berries and the variety has exceptional shelf-life. Before storing, remove any spoiled grapes with broken skins or browning from the bunch and keep refrigerated; they should keep a week to ten days. During storage, continue to remove any and all spoiled fruit; it is best to place them in the coldest part of the refrigerator.

Orin Apples (EP) Grown for Elam Organics in Bristish Columbia, Sweet Orin is an exciting new and unique apple variety from Japan, where it is considered a true delicacy. In Japan it is customary to slice and share these apples with family and friends following meals and for special occasions. It is an oblong apple, medium to large in size with a yellow-green color and a strong skin that resists bruising. The Sweet Orin is a sweet, juicy, aromatic apple that is low in acid with a subtle pear-like flavor. An unusual new taste you don’t want to miss! Apples can last up to six weeks in the refrigerator.

Comice Pears (EP) are grown by Bear Creek in Medford, OR. Comice pears are a French variety discovered in about 1849. It has a stubby, almost round shape with green skin and often a significant red blush on one cheek. Considered the king of the pears because of its extreme juiciness and sweetness, the Comice is the variety most often found in holiday gift boxes. With its delicate nature it is not recommended for cooking, however. Instead, Comice pears are excellent eaten raw, or served paired with cheese as a dessert. Leave them out at room temperature and they will ripen in a few days to a week, depending on the maturity when delivered. If you choose to hold off the ripening process, the fruit should be refrigerated and will hold three to four weeks there until ready to ripen. Once ripe, a pear will not last much more than a couple of days, even in the refrigerator.

Valencia Oranges (EN) are grown by Sundance Produce in CA. Valencia oranges originated on the Iberian Peninsula and are the world’s most important commercial variety. Valencias are thin-skinned, nearly seedless, and excellent juicers whose juice doesn’t lose its vitamin C overnight in the refrigerator. Store oranges in a cool place outside the refrigerator and try to eat them within a few days. If you need to keep them longer, refrigerate in a plastic bag or in the vegetable crisper section of the refrigerator.

Pink Lady Apples (EP) Grown by Briggs and Eggers Orchard, Pink Lady is a natural cross between the Golden Delicious and Lady Williams varieties. Pink Lady has a beautiful pink blush over a yellow background. It has a creamy flesh that is crisp and its flavor is both tart and sweet. It has a long storage life when refrigerated. It is best to keep apples as cold as possible, so store them in the back of your refrigerator. Apples can last up to six weeks in the refrigerator.

Biodynamic Red Bartlett Pears (EP) are grown by Mount Hood Organics. in Oregon. For many, the Bartlett pear carries a true pyriform "pear shape;" a rounded bell on the bottom half of the fruit, then a definitive shoulder with a smaller neck or stem end. Bartletts are also extremely aromatic pears, and have a definitive "pear flavor." Just as Yellow Bartletts change color while ripening, so do Red Bartletts; changing from a dark red often with light vertical striping to become a bright red. Aside from color, there are no major differences between the two types of Bartlett pears.

Kiwis (EP) are grown by Wild River farm in CA. Though it looks like a tree fruit, kiwifruit is actually a berry that grows on treelike shrubs that can reach as high as 25 feet. The shrubs are trellised much like grape vines. Ripen kiwifruit at room temperature for 3 to 5 days or until they give to a gentle pressure from your thumb. Once ripe, store away from other ethylene producers. They have a tendancy to over-ripen, even in the refrigerator. 

Hass Avocados (EP) are grown by Purity in California. Avocados are a great source of potassium and also contain oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat that may help to lower cholesterol. When the fruit yields to gentle finger pressure, it is ready to be eaten. Store at room temperature until ripe. Monitor daily to check for ripeness. Storing near other ethylene producers accelerates the ripening process and may result in rot if you don't watch closely enough. Joanne keeps them across the kitchen on a separate counter from other fruit. That seems to keep them from ripening too fast. Here is a link for some avocado recipes even though I, Joanne, enjoy them plain with a little hot sauce and lime.