Ripen fruit with fruit

Ripe fruits like tomatoes and bananas give off ethylene, or ethene. This natural chemical is also known as ‘fruit-ripening gas’ and has been used for centuries to artificially speed up fruit ripening. The Egyptians made holes in figs to let the gas out, people in ancient China burnt incense to release ethylene, and modern transport vehicles pump the gas over fruit on their way to the supermarket to ensure it’s ready to eat on arrival. To use this trick at home, just place an ethyleneproducing fruit like a banana, fig, mango, nectarine or plum next to an unripe fruit and it’ll be ready to eat in no time.

A favourite of the ancient Egyptians, figs encourage other fruits to ripen Unripe High in resistant starch, unripe bananas are best eaten cooked or fried. Ripe bananas give off ethylene gas, which tells other fruits to ripen Ripe A ripened banana...