in common? The answer came two decades
later: ethylene, a simple hydrocarbon gas
produced by both plants and kerosene
combustion, which triggers ripening in mature
but unripe fruit. Much later, scientists found
that fruits themselves produce ethylene well
in advance of ripening. It is thus a hormone
that initiates this process in an organized way.
Two Styles of Ripening,
Two Ways of Handling
There are two different styles of ripening
among fruits. One is dramatic. When
triggered by ethylene, the fruit stimulates
itself by producing more ethylene, and begins
to respire — to use up oxygen and produce
carbon dioxide — from two to five times
faster than before. Its flavor, texture, and
color change rapidly, and afterwards they
often decline rapidly as well. Such
“climacteric” fruits can be harvested while