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According to MochaSofa, as fruit ripens it releases a natural hormone called ethylene. The paper bag traps this gas close to the fruit, thus ripening it more quickly, while still allowing some ventilation. But be careful -- your peaches and pears can go from rock hard to mush in a few days if you don't monitor them. To get a little more technical, ethylene triggers the creation of enzymes, which cause starches and acids to break down into sugar. They also break down cell walls, softening the fruit. Fruits ripen in order to kick-start a new growing cycle, by providing their seeds with nutrients. Certain fruits, apples in
particular, produce a great deal of ethylene, so it's important to store them separately from vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and leafy greens, as these plants can be harmed by the gas. However, you can add an apple to a bag of plums, tomatoes (yes, tomatoes are a fruit), or other fruit to speed up the ripening process. You'll find a barrel full of fruit and vegetable tips at CooksRecipes.com. For more enlightening kitchen trivia, we recommend the Exploratorium's Science of Cooking.
We also give a big thumbs-up to a fantastic book by Russ Parsons titled How to Read a French Fry.
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