Knowing when to harvest produce is important, but there is a way to speed up the process if you're in a hurry.
The scoop
Joseph Clark (@joesgarden.official) took to Instagram to show a quick way to expedite the ripening process at home using fruit from your garden or the shops.
Joe's video shows viewers how one banana can help ripen a boxful of tomatoes. Joe goes on to explain that putting underripe fruit in a drawer or box with a banana will turn those green tomatoes red in no time.
"When plants, especially ripe bananas continue to ripen they release ethylene, which is a gaseous plant hormone, which can also trigger the ripening response of any surrounding plants," Joe explained in the caption.
Putting it in a box or drawer traps the ethylene, creating a ripening chamber. What would normally take a week or two to ripen can be sped up to as fast as a few days in some cases.
"Just make sure to check them each day as you don't want to let them get overripe," Joe warned.
That being said, make sure to keep ripening bananas away from other fruits.
How it's working
This tip is especially helpful this time of year for late-season produce, such as tomatoes, that need to ripen before the frosts. It's also good to keep in mind when you have to buy produce from the store that isn't quite ripe yet or when you've had to harvest early for whatever reason.
It's a great way to ripen produce for your needs so that you don't have to buy new produce or let the produce you already have go to waste. It saves money, time, and resources.
🗣️ What's the most common reason you end up throwing away food?
🔘 Bought more than I could eat 🛒
🔘 Went bad sooner than I expected 👎
🔘 Forgot it was in the fridge 😞
🔘 Didn't want leftovers 🥡
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
The less food that ends up in the trash, the less that winds up in our landfills, which are already overflowing with food. According to the USDA, 30-40% of our food supply goes to waste. Food is the single largest category of waste in landfills, which produce toxic gases that pollute our air and oceans. Anything we can do, big or small, makes a difference.
Knowing how to store your food so that it lasts longer and getting creative with leftovers are a few other ways to save food from the waste bin. Flashfood and Too Good To Go are food waste reduction apps that can also help. Flashfood connects users to stores with food approaching their best-by dates, and Too Good To Go partners with eateries to offer discounts on surplus and unsold food items considered unsellable.
What people are saying
With over 5,000 likes, Joe's fruit ripening tip was very much appreciated and well received.
"Works like a treat," an Instagrammer said with a stamp of approval.
"This should also work with an apple or a pear instead of the banana. They release the same gas," another advised.
"This is brilliant," raved a third.
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
