In some cases, it becomes necessary to pluck the fruit unripe. At the same time, fruits do not lose beneficial properties, have excellent taste.
The main reason for ripening fruit
The process occurs under the influence of the hormone ethylene - a gas of plant origin (soluble in water), which the fruits themselves generate. It has a second name: the "hormone of ripeness." Ethylene stimulates metabolic processes, so that the fruits acquire a natural color, sweetness, softness and juiciness. This hormone was discovered by our botanist Dmitry Nelyubov back in the last century.
Since it is produced and absorbed directly by the fruit, it is not necessary for them to remain on the tree until fully ripened. A torn fetus sometimes ripens even faster, because a lack of moisture enhances the production of ethylene.
Which ripped fruits ripen and which do not?
Susceptible to the hormone are: apple, mango, banana, avocado, pear, apricot. These fruits produce gas on their own, due to which they ripen. They are recommended to be stored with other fruits in order to accelerate their ripening. Sensitive to ethylene: quince, persimmon, plum, pineapple. Fruits less susceptible to the hormone: pomegranate, figs, grapes. These fruits can ripen exclusively on a tree, subject to the ingress of moisture and nutrients. The fruits of the latter group do not ripen under the influence of ethylene, on the contrary, it activates the aging process, as a result of which they deteriorate.
Ripened fruit ripening conditions
Harvested fruits are placed in dark paper or wooden boxes.Cleaned in a dark room with a temperature not exceeding 22 ° C and not lower than 20 degrees. Fruits, depending on the variety, secrete and absorb different amounts of ethylene.
At temperatures above the optimum, fruit ripening is accelerated, but at the same time they become soft, with a flabby skin. The sun's rays greatly accelerate the process, but the fruits lose their elasticity and juiciness, and in some cases dark spots appear on them. Therefore, such storage conditions are not suitable if the fruits are subsequently planned to be sold. In a cold room, it takes longer to mature.
Storage compatibility
The right neighborhood is important. Apples emit more ethylene than others, so they are stored separately. To speed up the ripening process, it is recommended to lay these fruits next to other green fruits.
The container must be exclusively made of paper or wood. It is not recommended to use plastic bags for storage, since the condensate that forms in them stimulates rotting.
For commercial use, modern technology is used. Fruits are ripened unripe and placed in special booths, in which ethylene is served in small doses. Almost all fruits lying on the shelves in winter are processed in such chambers.
Green fruits are able to ripen ripped, subject to the temperature and other storage recommendations. This is possible, since the fruits continue to independently support the processes of life.The main factor stimulating the ripening of fruits ripened from the tree is ethylene, or the “ripening hormone”.
Ripening rate depends on storage conditions. In a bright, warm place, with the right neighborhood, this process is significantly accelerated. The same effect will occur if one ripe is placed among green fruits.
