Processing & Preservation
Climacteric fruit
Fruit showing a sharp rise in respiration and ethylene production at the onset of ripening — banana, mango, apple, tomato — and able to ripen after harvest.
Real-life application
The reason bananas and mangoes can be bought unripe and left to ripen on the kitchen counter, while grapes and citrus can't.
Related terms
Respiration rate
Processing & PreservationThe rate at which harvested produce consumes oxygen and releases carbon dioxide, heat and water.
Ethylene
Processing & PreservationA gaseous plant hormone that triggers and accelerates ripening and senescence, active at parts-per-million concentrations.
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