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Conference turris::cooks

Title:How to Make them Goodies
Notice:Please Don't Start New Notes for Old Topics! Check 5.*
Moderator:FUTURE::DDESMAISONSec.com::winalski
Created:Wed Feb 19 1986
Last Modified:Thu Jun 05 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:4127
Total number of notes:31160

3979.0. "Going Bananas" by FAILTE::TROWSDALEC (Caroline Trowsdale) Wed Sep 21 1994 13:33

    Did you know that as bananas ripen their skins release a chemical that
    speeds up the ripening of the other bananas in that bunch? 
    
    That's why the bananas in your fruit bowl look great one day then
    suddenly all seem spotty the next time you look at them!
    
    I'm so excited, didn't know this before, I thought I'd share it with
    you. Meantime am off to put all mine in individual dishes all round the
    house!!
    
    Caroline
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Name
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3979.1Ethylene ISLNDS::WHITMOREWed Sep 21 1994 14:0610
    Ethylene gas, if I'm not mistaken.  Apples and tomatoes do it too.  So
    if you have some pears/peaches/ whatever that you bought a little too
    early at the store, and you want to ripen them up, put them in a paper
    bag with an apple (or a banana).  
    
    This is also the reason why you are not supposed to root cellar apples
    along with your other produce - the apples will make everything else
    spoil.
    
    Dana
3979.2GOLLY::CARROLLthe courage of my contradictionsWed Sep 21 1994 19:584
    I suppose this is the root of old saying about one rotten Apple
    spoiling the whole bushel.
    
    D!
3979.3GEMGRP::gemnt3.zko.dec.com::WinalskiCareful with that AXP, EugeneWed Sep 21 1994 21:386
Yep, the compound is ethylene gas, and it is indeed the root of the 
saying that one bad apple will spoil the whole bushel.  The saying is 
true--the bad (overripe) apple will emit lots of ethylene, which will 
cause all the other apples to go overripe, too.

--PSW