You most likely purchase fruits that look beautiful, and yet once you get them to your home, they just aren’t quite edible yet. So don’t worry. You’re in good company. As it turns out, most fruits aren’t picked ripe so that they can arrive at markets in the prime of freshness. They will still require a little ripening once they reach the stores or your homes.
One of the most popular ripening tricks is to put the fruit in a paper bag, yet not ripe. It is a pretty simple trick. Why does it help ripen fruit? How do you get the perfect ripening? This article will attempt to go a bit into the science behind this process, provide some hints on using the same for numerous fruits, and provide a few more pointers for best results when getting the fruits ripe.
Why Paper Bag?
Breathability: A paper bag is porous, so it has a little airflow in and out. It prevents moisture from building up, which causes mould and spoilage. Plastic bags trap too much moisture and cause mushy, overripe, or rotten fruit.
Ethylene Concentration: The paper bag provides enough ethylene gas to ripen the fruits without totally removing their fruit. It basically means it should provide an appropriate environment, allowing the fruit to get ripe uniformly and naturally.
Easy Access: Paper bags are very accessible, cheaper, and are considered one of the low-fuss techniques. Get quality bags from wholesale custom paper bag manufacturer at the best price.
How to ripen fruits in a Paper Bag?
Here is how you can do it to ripen your fruits in a paper bag procedure, step by step guide:
Step 1: Select the Right Fruit
Paper bag fruit ripening doesn’t work for every type of fruit. This is an ideal process for use with climacteric fruits which continue to ripen when removed from the tree or vine, including but not limited to:
· Apples
· Avocados
· Bananas
· Kiwis
· Mangoes
· Nectarines
· Peaches
· Pears
· Plums
· Tomatoes
The following fruits are not amenable to this process. Since they cannot ripen once they have been harvested, they include berries, citrus, and watermelons.
Step 2: Use an Unlined Paper Bag
Use a paper bag, such as the ones you can find in grocery stores. You may use a plastic-coated or wax-coated bag; these bags prevent adequate air circulation.
Step 3: Place Fruit in the Bag
Place all of your unripened fruits in the bag. To further accelerate the ripening, if you have a time crunch, put some ripe fruits in with it, such as bananas or apples. The ripe fruits release all excess ethylene gas.
Step 4: Fold Over the Top of the Bag
Loosely fold or roll up the top of the bag to close it, but not too tight and airtight. That will trap only as much ethylene gas around the fruit but with some space still for air.
Step 5: Put in a Warm Spot
Store the bag in a warm, room-temperature location without direct sunlight or extreme temperatures. Most fruits ripen well within a temperature range of 65°F to 75°F (18°C to 24°C).
Check Daily
Check the fruit every day for ripeness. You may end up waiting between 1 and 3 days, depending on the type of fruit and how ripe it was when you put it in the bag. Fruit can go from perfect to mush in just hours, especially with this method, so be careful.
Common Fruits Ripening Times
Here is an approximate amount of time you can expect for the ripening of each fruit done using this paper bag method:
· Avocados: 1-2 days
· Bananas: 1-2 days from being green to yellow.
· Peaches/Nectarines: 1-3 days
· Pears: 1-3 days
· Plums: 1-2 days
· Tomatoes: 1-2 days
Of course, these times may be more relative, but the riper they already are when you put them in there, and environmental conditions change them sometimes very quickly, so check them often.
Other Tricks to Speed Up the Ripening Process
Now, although it does quite well, in case there is no paper bag found or if you prefer something else to ripen your fruits, here are some alternatives:
1. Fruit with Ethylene Producers
Just like how a ready banana or apple placed in the bag hastens ripening, placing an ethylene-producing fruit next to your unripe fruit has the same effect outside the bag. For example, placing an apple next to an avocado on the counter hastens the ripening of the avocado.
2. Rice or Flour Method
Others ripen the fruit using rice or flour. You can put your unripened fruits in a bag with rice or flour. These substances trap ethylene gas but contain very little moisture, as is the case with paper bags. It is kind of messy, and you need to wash the fruit you have used in this manner.
3. Applying Heat or Sunlight with Care
This can be quite fast with fruits exposed directly to the sun, though it can result in some uneven ripening or even spoilage. Use it only for a few hours and keep a close watch on it.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
The paper bag method is not particularly difficult, but here are some common mistakes to avoid:
Do Not Leave It Alone: Observe the fruit daily. Fruits will ripen easily and will overripen when left alone. Wholesale Custom Paper Bag Supplier at Best Pro Pack can provide more tips and tricks.
Crowding: Avoid piling inside the bag. The poor airflow contributes to spoilage.
Putting it in a Cool Place: Avoid putting the paper bag in the refrigerator or cool environment. The temperature would slow the ripening process. Paper bag techniques are most effective at room temperature.
Using Plastic Bags: Plastic bags don’t allow proper airflow and trap moisture. Result: Mold and rot
Benefits of Fruit Ripening at Home
Use a paper bag to ripen fruit at home for these benefits:
Taste: The taste of fruits naturally ripened is better than artificially ripened fruits that ripen with chemicals.
Less Waste: At home, you can have fruit that is ripened, so you can buy fruit at the store that is just a little unripe, hence giving you more time for use before it spoils.
More Nutritional Value: Fruit that ripens naturally retains more of its nutrients, providing better health benefits.
Conclusion:
The simple paper bag is an incredibly powerful tool for ripening fruit at home what a perfect ripening environment the ethylene gas trapped around the fruit creates when the opening of the paper bag allows air movement.
It is just such a simple yet revolutionary technique if you have ever purchased an unripe avocado or a hard peach. The next time you have some under-ripened fruit, get yourself a paper bag, do what we have described here, and done, you have perfectly ripe fruit in days.
Whether you’re an aficionado of avocados, peaches, or bananas, knowing how to ripen ensures that you will always have edible, good-tasting fruit at hand.
