A climacteric fruit is one which continues to ripen after it's been picked. For example, when you buy green bananas at the market and they ripen to yellow (then brown) at home, that’s climacteric. But when it comes to lemons, cherries, grapes, oranges, and pineapples, what you see is pretty much what you get.

This “fruity phenomenon” has to do with ethylene gas. All fruits ripen when naturally occurring enzymes break down starches within the fruit to make sugar. The fruit becomes softer and sweeter, which is generally what we look for.

Climacteric fruits undergo a particular stage of ripening that is characterized by increased production of ethylene gas, which continues to be produced even after the fruit is picked. But if a non-climacteric lemon or watermelon is picked too early, it will never ripen fully.

Knowing which fruits are climacteric or non-climacteric helps us to make informed decisions at the grocery store or farmers’ market.

Fortunately, some climacteric fruits continue to produce enough ethylene gas, even after picking, that they can encourage others to ripen. Case in point: if you have a hard avocado that you REALLY want to eat, stick it in a paper bag at room temperature with a ripe banana or apple, and it will soften up faster.

It’s possible to inhibit ethylene gas production in climacteric fruits by storing them in the refrigerator. Your tomatoes and peaches will last longer, but the cold can also inhibit the sugar production (aka flavor).

More Info: www.ciafoodies.com