VedPrep Chem Academy is back with another Science Behind Phenomenon, How do fruits ripe? You must already know that VedPrep Revision ki Bullet Train is already running on its track with multiple revision segments to help you revise better. Science behind phenomenon is one such sub-segment that focuses on explaining complex scientific phenomena through quick crisp videos. And today we’ll be decoding the science behind one such formula with VedPrep Revision ki Bullet Train.
So How Do Fruits Ripe?
Now if you’re a chemistry aspirant for an exam like IIT JAM, CSIR NET, GATE, CUET PG, etc. then we’re sure you must have encountered this question at some point. Humans have already found out the science behind fruit ripening and have started to replicate it artificially as well. While humans can make fruits ripe through many artificial ways, there’s only one natural method for fruits to ripe themselves. And that is by Ethylene gas which helps fruits ripen naturally.
Why do we use Artificial Fruit Ripening?
Ever since humans started exporting and transporting food from one place to another, they realised that most of the food becomes stale or ripe before it reaches its destination. To solve this problem, artificial methods were developed to ripe fruits artificially so that they could be transported without any problems. To make this happen, farmers would pluck the fruits before they would ripe and transport them in that state. Once they reached their destination, they would ripe the fruits artificially by using chemicals or ethylene gas. All this is done to increase the longevity and survival of fruits.
Artificial Ripening Of Fruits: Safe or Unsafe?
As we discussed, RIpening of fruits can be carried out by using chemical like Carbide or naturally occurring Ethylene gas. However, there’s a major difference in both methods. Let’s discuss how ripening fruits with Ethylene gas and Carbide is different from each other.
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Fruit Ripening with Ethylene Gas |
Fruit Ripening with Carbides |
| Ethylene is a naturally occurring gas/chemical in plants and fruits that makes fruits ripe naturally. We can recreate the ripening of fruits naturally by exposing unripe fruits and vegetables to ethylene gas. | Carbides are artificially created chemical compounds that can help us ripe fruits at much cheaper rates than ethylene. However, Carbides are not healthy for human health but some local vendors use Carbides to increase their profits. |
How Do Fruits Ripe? Ideal Conditions for Fruit Ripening
| Fruit Name | Ethylene Exposure Time (In Hours) |
Ripening Temperature (Celcius) |
Relative Humidity (RH %) |
| Banana | 24-48 | 12-18 | 90-95 |
| Mango | 24-48 | 20-22 | 90-95 |
| Papaya | 24-48 | 20-25 | 90-95 |
| Pear | 24-48 | 18-22 | 90-95 |
| Tomato | 24-48 | 18-20 | 90-95 |
Some Other Ways to Ripe Fruits Naturally
So far, we just covered one natural method that is used to ripe fruits. However, there are some more ways that can help you ripe fruits without much hassle. Some of those methods are:
1. Rice and an Air Tight Container
- You can put some rice in an air-tight container along with the fruit you want to rip.
- Close the Air-tight container and let the fruit rest there for 24-48 hours.
- After 24-48 hours, your fruit will be ripe naturally.
2. Use Dry Husk
Husk is another element that can help you ripe fruits naturally. Which is why, why most mango crates are accompanied by husk inside as it helps ripening of mangoes during their transport.
3. Using plants
You can put your unripe fruits along with other plants to ripe them. As, plants naturally release ethylene gas which rill ripe your fruits naturally without any hassle.
Conclusion
We hope after going through this blog you won’t have to ask “How do Fruits RIpe” ever again. Revision ki bullet train is an initiative by VedPrep Chem Academy that won’t be stopping anytime soon. We hope you will board this train and embark on a journey of flawless preparation with our excellent educators. We’ll be back with more such blogs, and you can check out the complete explanation of this blog on our video from here. Don’t forget to check out VedPrep Chem Academy where you can start preparing for exams like IIT JAM, GATE, CSIR NET, and many other exams with the best educators in the market.