Fruit Ripening

Climacteric fruits pass through a marked rise in respiration and ethylene production as they begin to ripen, and this internal ethylene coordinates the changes of ripening. Because they respond to ethylene and can ripen after picking, such fruits can be harvested mature but firm and unripe, transported, and then ripened close to the market. Non-climacteric fruits lack this respiratory surge and do not continue to ripen appreciably after harvest, so their eating quality is largely fixed at picking.

This physiology shapes practical decisions. For climacteric fruit, harvest maturity and ethylene management govern quality; for non-climacteric fruit, picking at the right ripeness is decisive because storage can slow decline but cannot improve flavour.

For fruits such as bananas and some other climacteric crops, ripening is managed in dedicated rooms where temperature, humidity, air circulation, and ethylene are controlled. Applying ethylene under controlled conditions brings fruit to uniform, predictable eating ripeness on schedule, which suits orderly distribution. The same conditions must avoid over-ripening and the build-up of heat and carbon dioxide from the fruit’s own respiration.

• Fruit is held at a controlled temperature suited to even ripening.
• Ethylene is applied to initiate ripening in mature but unripe fruit.
• Ventilation removes excess carbon dioxide and heat of respiration.
• Humidity is maintained to limit water loss and shrivelling.

Choosing the right harvest maturity is fundamental. Fruit picked too early may never develop full flavour, while fruit picked too late has a short remaining life and handles poorly. Because non-climacteric fruit will not sweeten further after picking, and climacteric fruit picked over-ripe cannot be held long, maturity assessment is one of the most important quality decisions in the whole post-harvest chain.