What Causes Fruit to Ripen?

Proper Handling and Selection

When selecting fruit to pick for ripening later, it is essential that only the blemish-free fruits are saved. Fruit with blemishes may not ripen properly. Fruit should be washed carefully and then air-dried. Finally, fruit should not be allowed to freeze during episodes of frost. Protecting fruit by covering it before you are ready to pick ensures that the fruit is in the best possible condition.

Ethylene is a gas that some fruits produce as they ripen. The more ethylene produced, the more the fruit ripens. Apples, pears, melons, mangoes and plums are examples of fruits that produce ethylene. Ethylene can also be applied to fruit to make it ripen faster. When ripening fruit at home, place a fully ripe piece of the same kind of fruit into the container with the unripe fruit. The ripe piece of fruit can produce enough ethylene to ripen the unripe fruit.

Reducing the moisture given to a plant speeds the ripening of the fruit. However, fruit requires proper humidity to ripen, but too much humidity causes mold to form. When the air is too dry, shriveling occurs. Thus, if fruit is ripening indoors after picking, it is best to control the humidity carefully. Fruit can be placed in a cool basement or garage, wrapped in newspaper or placed in a container several layers deep. Some examples of appropriate containers include wooden boxes, plastic bags or paper bags.

Fruit ripens faster at a higher temperature. For instance, at around 70 degrees Fahrenheit, fruit will ripen in two weeks. At only 55 degrees, the same fruit will take three weeks to ripen. However, it is unwise to ripen fruit below 50 degrees. While the fruit may look and feel ripe, the flavor won't develop properly.