You have probably bought avocados or mangoes that are too hard to eat. We’ve all at least once in our life entered the grocery store craving a certain fruit and excited to stock up on said produce only to realise that the whole stand is filled with fruits that are far from ready to eat. And if left determined to find ripe fruits only to drive to every supermarket in your area online to realise that they must all share the same supplier because they are all selling the object of your desire in slightly different staged of unripe, don’t get discouraged. Buy the fruits anyway. There are ways to get them ready to eat faster.
Don’t want to wait for weeks before your green bananas get spotty and banana bread ready? Can’t wait for your avocados to be avocado toast ready? Accelerate your favourite fruits’ ripening process by increasing their exposition to ethylene gas, the natural gas responsible for ripening. Interested? Learn how to ripen your favourite fruits in the following article.
1. Avocados
Avocados do not ripen until after they have been harvested. The best way to ripen hard avocados is to place them in a brown bag, which traps the ethylene gas. You can add a tomato, apple or banana in the bag to increase ethylene production and make your avocado ripen faster.
2. Blueberries
Like avocados, blueberries can be ripened in a paper bag – or a plastic bag – and stored in a cool, dark place. However, be aware that blueberries that are picked in white and green will not ripen.
3. Peaches
To ripen your peaches, place them on a linen towel out of the sun and cover them with another towel. You can also put them in a brown paper bag. You will know that they are ripe when they start to smell strong and softer.
4. Pears
Once again, the brown paper bag is the best way to ripen this fruit. You can add a banana or apple to it to speed up the process.
5. Mangoes
Mango can be ripe on the counter. You can also place it in a brown paper bag or in a ventilated wooden box with hay. Or ripen the mango in a paper bag or newspaper. Leave the bag of mangoes on the kitchen counter overnight and check for ripeness in the morning. …
6. Plums
To ripen your plums, simply leave them on your counter for a few days. You can speed up the process by placing them in a brown paper bag.
7. Bananas
Bananas ripen according to temperature. You can leave them on the counter for a few days or put them in the oven at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for 7-15 minutes.
8. Pineapple
Pineapples do not ripen after harvesting. They can soften on your counter, but they won’t get sweeter. Therefore, try to buy pineapples that are golden in color and have a strong smell.
9. Strawberries
Strawberries are among the fruits that do not ripen after being picked. It is therefore important, when you go to the grocery store, that you choose strawberries with a beautiful red color to make sure they taste good.
10. Tomatoes
To ripen, tomatoes need warmer temperatures. Try to place them on a shelf in a warm place and cover them with newspaper, which traps the ethylene gas.
