Chemical Engineering in Daily Life – Question 88: Why do peaches that have been stored for a long time become soft?
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This post was last edited by yjqin1 on 2015-9-28 08:39. Peaches are my favorite seasonal fruit. Last Thursday, I bought some very bright, sweet, and hard peaches at the vegetable market. I put the whole bag in the fridge. This morning, while having breakfast, I noticed that the peaches had become very soft and mushy. Please explain why?
After being stored for a long time, the cells lose their activity and become soft.
Further ripen. Some fruits and berries continue to mature after being removed from the plant.
Is it the same principle as with bananas?
Found online; I’m not sure if it’s correct: Fruits release ethylene as they mature, and this substance activates cellulases that break down the cell walls, causing the structural components in those walls to be lost, which in turn makes the fruit softer. Peaches are fruits that undergo respiratory transition; when they are fully ripe, they release large amounts of ethylene, and at that moment the entire peach softens very rapidly
I feel it’s similar to the process of ripening persimmons. Unripe persimmons that are not allowed to ripen on their own will be very astringent; if a few ripe apples, especially those that have been left to ferment, are placed among the persimmons, they will ripen more quickly. Apples and peaches release a substance when they ripen, and this substance helps facilitate the ripening of the fruits. By placing the peaches in a sealed bag, this substance released by them remains trapped inside the bag, accelerating the ripening and softening of the peaches. However, peaches are fruits that are difficult to store~
Agree with the opinion on floor 5! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
Once the peaches are picked, their various physiological processes do not cease immediately; in the relatively fresh and firm fruits, pectin and starch continue to break down into soluble substances. So it will not only soften but also become sweeter. But if it’s too ripe, it will rot after a few days. . . I’m not sure if it’s correct. .