In some cases, it becomes necessary to pluck unripe fruits. This is important when the fruits need to be preserved during long-term transportation. Such a measure will save them from pests or adverse weather conditions. At the same time, fruits do not lose their useful properties, they have excellent taste.
One of the most famous cases in this story is tomatoes that turn red on the newspaper, or bananas, for example, that turn yellow in the "gas chamber."
The main reason for the ripening of plucked fruits is this …
The process occurs under the influence of the hormone ethylene - a plant gas (soluble in water) that fruits generate on their own. It has a second name: "ripeness hormone". Ethylene stimulates metabolic processes, due to which the fruits acquire their natural color, sweetness, softness and juiciness. This hormone was discovered by our botanist Dmitry Nelyubov in the last century. Since it is produced and absorbed directly by fruits, they do not need to remain on the tree until fully ripe. Plucked fruit sometimes ripens even faster, as the lack of moisture increases the production of ethylene.
Which plucked fruits ripen and which do not?
Susceptible to the hormone are considered: apple, mango, banana, avocado, pear, apricot. These fruits release gas on their own, due to which they ripen. They are recommended to be stored with other fruits in order to accelerate their ripening. Ethylene sensitive: quince, persimmon, plum, pineapple. Fruits less susceptible to the hormone: pomegranate, figs, grapes. These fruits can only ripen on the tree, subject to the supply 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.
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Ripening conditions for plucked fruits
The collected fruits are placed in dark paper or wooden boxes. They are removed to a dark room with a temperature not exceeding 22 C and not lower than 20 degrees. Fruits, depending on the variety, release and absorb different amounts of ethylene. Above the optimum temperature, the ripening of the fruits accelerates, but at the same time they become soft, with flabby skin. The sun's rays significantly speed up 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 planned to be sold later. It will take longer in a cold room to ripen.
Storage compatibility
The right neighborhood is important. Apples release ethylene more than others, so they are kept separately. To speed up the ripening process, it is recommended to put these fruits next to other green fruits. The container should be exclusively made of paper or wood. It is not recommended to use plastic bags for storage, since the condensation that forms in them stimulates decay. Modern technologies are used for commercial use. Fruits are picked unripe and placed in special booths into which ethylene is fed in small doses. Almost all fruits that are on the shelves in winter are processed in such chambers.
Green fruits can ripen plucked, subject to temperature conditions and other storage recommendations. This is possible, since the fruits continue to independently support life processes. The main factor that stimulates the ripening of fruits plucked from the tree is ethylene, or "ripeness 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 be if one ripe fruit is placed among the green fruits.