pyle@ut-ngp.UUCP (Keith Pyle) (11/13/83)
Placing an avocado in a closed container, even a paper bag, will increase the rate at which it ripens. The reason is that ripening fruits give off ethlyene oxide (1,2-epoxyethane) and it promotes further ripening. By placing the item in a closed container, you raise the level of the gas and increase the rate of ripening. This principle has been exploited by the large growers, particularly in the case of tomatoes, who will pick the item somewhat green and then expose it to ethlyene oxide. Thus, you get red but not thoroughly ripe tomatoes. I'm told that exposure to the gas also gives tomatoes that rather slick feeling you often encounter on the skin of supermarket tomatoes. "One bad apple spoils the whole barrel." Keith Pyle . . .!ihnp4!ut-ngp!pyle
west@sdcsla.UUCP (11/16/83)
la-ti-dah.... An improvement to the method of ripening avo's in paper bags (at room temperature) is to put bananas in the bag with them -- apparently bananas give off a large amount of the ethylene gas which ripens. -- Larry West UC San Diego possible net addresses: -- ARPA: west@NPRDC -- UUCP: ucbvax!sdcsvax!sdcsla!west -- or ucbvax:sdcsvax:sdcsla:west