By placing something like a
brown-spotted banana into a sealed paper bag with green bananas, the
gas produced by the ripe banana will speed the ripening of the unripe
bananas. You can also mix up fruits by, for instance, ripening tomatoes
with bananas.
So say that you just bought yourself an entire box of green bananas.
You want eat some soon, and others later, and realize that if they're
ripening at the same pace you'll be hit with more fruit than you can
eat all at once.
The key is to use what you know about ethylene to your advantage.
As I mentioned in my
fruit storage
article, putting fruit in a warm
spot will speed up the ripening process. I have a utility closet that's
always
warmer than the rest of the apartment, so I stick my fruit in there to
ripen. Also remember that heat rises, and so higher areas will tend to
ripen before lower ones.
If you have a cool spot, like a basement, fruit stored here will
generally ripen at a slower pace.
If you plan it right, with some fruit at room temperature, some in a
warm spot, in some in a cold spot, you can easily divide up the
ripening over a long enough period of time so you can eat them all.
Particular Fruit Ripening Needs
Note: Refrigeration
sometimes effects the taste of fruit, so it's better to eat things
fresh.
Apples: Stick them
in the fridge after you've picked them to keep them
from going mushy.
Apricots: If
they're not ripe, store them in a paper bag. Once they're
ripe, eat them within a day or two.
Berries: Berries can be hard to
manage, and are very perishable. Take
out any overripe berries and eat them immediatly or throw them away if
they've gone bad. If any are smashed or moldy, immediatly throw them
out. You can keep most berries for 3 or four days, but watch them close
for signs of decay. Fresh blueberries are an exception and often last
10 days.
Bananas: See above
section, but after becoming very spotted bananas can
be stored in the fridge for at least another week. The peels may turn
black but the fruit will stay good.
Cherries: If
they're in good condition, they should last about a week.
Remove any that have started to go bad. You can keep them in the fridge
for a few days if necessary.
Dates: Dates will
be perfectly ripe when you get them. They can be
stored in the fridge or at a cool temperature for a long time. I
usually eat the dates I get within a few weeks, so I'm not quite sure
exactly how long.
Grapefruit: These
can be kept at room temperature for perhaps a week,
and will taste better when not chilled. If you want to keep them
longer, put them in the fridge and you can get seven weeks out of them.
Grapes: Pick over
any grapes and get rid of the smashed ones. If you're
not eating them immediatly, you can keep them in the fridge for 4-6
days.
Kiwi Fruit: Kiwis
can be ripened with the ethylene gas of other fruit,
but once ripe keep them away from the other fruit, because they'll
quickly become overripe. Once ripe they can keep for a week in the
fridge.
Lemons and Limes:
Lemons will last about two weeks at room temperature,
but limes should be refrigerated as soon as you bring them home if
you're not going to use them quickly.
Mangoes: Mangoes
will sweeten best at room temperature. They're ripe
when you skin is pliable enough to peel easily with your nail and
finger. The skin should be easily pulled off the flesh. I've kept ripe
mangoes for up to 5 days in the fridge.
Oranges: Oranges
are as ripe as they'll ever be when you pluck them
from the tree. They'll last a few days at room temperature of a little
over a week in the fridge.
Papayas: Best
ripened at room and stored at room temperature. Learn to pick out a
good one
here.
Pineapples: Best
ripened at room temperature. Figure out how to pick good ones
here.
Plantains: Read the
plantain ripening guide
here.
Watermelon:
Watermelons needs to ripen on the vine. Learn about picking good ones
here.
Once
you
get
it
home, you can keep it uncut at room temperature for up to two weeks
without any problems, but putting part of it in the fridge for a day or
two is fine.
More Info On Fruit Ripening:
Learn more about
fruit ripening
in the fruit guide.
Find great uses for your fruit in the
raw food
recipes section.
