Ripening Conditions of Fruits and Vegetables

"RIPENING CONDITIONS OF
FRUITS AND VEGETABLES"
Post Harvest Technology (FST-508)

Submitted to: Dr. Ghulam Murtaza

Submitted by: Ayesha Shafique(17-uglc-603)

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Ripening Conditions of Fruits and Vegetables

Ripening:
Ripening is a process by which fruits and vegetables attain their desirable flavour, quality, colour, palatable
nature and other textural properties. Ripening is associated with change in composition. Under certain
conditions.

Ripening Conditions:

 Ripening involves physical(texture) and chemical(glucose) changes in fruit

 This occur after the fruits is at fully mature.
 Immature fruit may be harvested and exposed to postharvest conditions that are conductive to
ripening. Temperature, Gas content in the atmosphere, and Humidity.
 Initiation of ripening occurs when the threshold level of ethylene reached the cells of the fruit and this
step Can occur naturally during maturity or if the fruit undergoes stress

Physical and Chemical Changes

Several changes in the fruits were analyzed. The physical parameters like the fruit weight,

width and length increased throughout the growth. In turn, fruit firmness, titratable acidity (TA)
and starch accumulation increased during the initial growth stage and later then decreased during
maturity.

Design of Ripening Room:

Primary requirements .

 Have good temperature control system

 Have good and effective air circulation

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Ripening Conditions of Fruits and Vegetables

 Gas tight

 Have good system for introducing fresh air

Rooms that are poorly sealed are packed in vented cartons stacked on pallets, and fruit temperature is
controlled by forced air circulation as in a cooling facility. A small fan can be used to ensure a uniform
continuous flow of ethylene into and through the room. Forced-air ripening provides more uniform
temperature and ethylene concentration throughout ripening room.

Ripening Chamber

1. A Good ventilation – important for successful fruit ripening Room is then ventilated
after 24 hours to prevent carbon dioxide exceeding 1% concentration, which would
retard ripening.
2. During initiation of ripening (during 24 hours) no fresh air is introduced only
ethylene gas
3. Gas tight – ensure threshold levels of ethylene are maintained.

4. The room is metal-lined with mastic between joints or use Gas-tight paint to ensure
no gas can pass through.
5. The room should have high humidity (90-95%)
6. Rooms are fitted with humidification device – spinning disc humidifier

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Ripening Conditions of Fruits and Vegetables
Ethylene Repining:

 Change in physiology of climacteric fruit and vegetable from maturation to ripening is initiated when
cellular quantities of ethylene reach a threshold level.
 Controlled Atmosphere Storage
 Levels of CO2 and O2 in the environment of climacteric fruit can affect ripening rate
 Controlled Atmosphere – suppress production of ethylene in fruit.
 Increase in ethylene synthesis is followed by changes in the fruits physiology, texture and composition

Optimal Condition for

Temperature 18 to 25°C
Relative Humidity 90 to 95%
Ethylene Concentration 10 to 100 ppm
Duration of Treatment 24 to 74 hours depending on fruit type and stage
of maturity
Air Circulation Sufficient to ensure distribution of ethylene within
in ripening room
Ventilation Require adequate air exchange in order to prevent
accumulation of O2 which reduces the
effectiveness of C2H4

Sources of Ethylene

1. Ethylene application method

2. Liquid 
3. Large gas cylinders
4. Small gas cylinders
5. Ethylene generators

1. Ethylene application method:

There are several sources of ethylene that can be used in fruit ripening and de-greening. The source and
the method selected for applying ethylene to fruit depends on:
 cost 
 convenience 
 safety factors

2. Liquid:

Ethephon is a plant growth regulator used to promote fruit ripening is used as a source of

ethylene. Ethylene can also be released from Ethephon by mixing it with a base such as sodium hydroxide.
Used initiate fruit to ripen by placing containers of Ethephon in a gas-tight room. maintained at a constant
temperature (18-21oC for most fruits

3. Large gas cylinder:

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Ripening Conditions of Fruits and Vegetables

I. Ethylene gas is available in large steel cylinders where it is stored under pressure 
II. Use of large cylinders of the pure gas is discouraged –Ethylene is highly flammable. Dilution with
nitrogen – allow margin for error.  

Application: Volume of the room should have been previously calculated and the volume of ethylene
introduced calculated with a flow meter.

4. Small gas cylinder:

I. Sometimes also used small gas cylinder that contain 35 L of ethylene.

II. Can be fitted with a metering device to allow for slow and controlled release of the gas. 

Application: Calculate the volume of the ripening room and the release the gas from the correct number
of cylinders to achieve the correct concentration of ethylene required for ripening or de-greening.

5. Ethylene Generators:

Devices that are placed in ripening rooms. A liquid is poured into them and they are connected to an
electrical power source, and they produce ethylene over a protracted period. Way of generating
ethylene would be to heat ethanol in a controlled way in the presence of a copper catalyst

Application: Calculate the volume of the store and place the correct number of generators in the store to
provide the required ethylene concentration.

Alternative Gases:

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Ripening Conditions of Fruits and Vegetables
I. Acetylene  Produced in less developed countries throughout the world using calcium carbide.
II. Cheaper than ethylene sources and easier to apply in simple ripening rooms. 
III. Pure calcium carbide then 1 kg would produce 300 L of acetylene gas. (gas is released when the
calcium carbide is exposed to moisture)
IV. High humidity reacts with the calcium carbide, giving a slow release of acetylene.
V. Large quantities of acetylene are required - small amounts of calcium carbide can be dropped
carefully into large buckets of water.

Simple method for ripeining:

 Smoke
 Fruit Generation.

Smoke:
Smoky fire is lit in the ripening room 
Produce various gases, including acetylene, ethylene and carbon monoxide – initiate ripening.

Fruit Generation:
 Fruit that are ripened and thus giving out ethylene can be placed in an air-tight room with green fruit.

Room should need to be frequently ventilated to ensure there was no build-up of CO2 (inhibits the effect
of ethylene)

Ripening Example of Fruit and Vegetable:

One of the simple and harmless techniques, 10 ml of ethephon and 2 gm of sodium hydroxide pellets are
mixed in five liter of water taken in a wide mouthed vessel. This vessel is placed inside the ripening
chamber near the fruit and vegetables and the room is sealed air tight. About a third of the room is filled
with product leaving the remaining area for air circulation. During initiation of ripening (during 24 hours)
no fresh air is introduced only ethylene gas. ventilated after 24 hours 

Conditions is applied for climacteric fruits and vegetables like apple, banana, bitter gourd, pumpkin,
tomatoes, apricots etc.

Ethylene Absorber:
To control ethylene in ripen products ethylene absorbers are used to avoid the chances of damage or over
ripening, spoilage and rejections there by increasing profits and customer satisfaction during storage and
transportation.

Rotten and damage condition of banana Without ethylene absorber during transport.
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Ripening Conditions of Fruits and Vegetables