UNIVERSITY PARK, (Centre Co.) Health-conscious Ameri cans are eating more varieties of fruit than ever before, yet many consumers are at a loss when it comes to determining ripeness. A typical shopper might buy a bunch of green bananas and store them in a fruit bowl with apples and pears, only to return a few days later to find his bananas soft er than a one-minute egg. “Sometimes, even I can’t tell how ripe something is by just looking at it,” says Kathleen Evensen, associate professor of postharvest physiology in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences. “It's best to find what you like and then look for the characteristics of that fruit.” Evensen says the best way to ensure tasty fruit is to know how it ripens. She explains that horticul turists have divided fruit into two categories: climacteric and non climacteric. Climacteric fruit (apples, pears, tomatoes, avocados, bananas, peaches, nectarines and other Ike Grown Mans Cancfy Store. BThf Sfihl 021 Superb power-lo ratio, electronic suit chum tinstone r ' STtHlM**’ p J wi i hi ml uomlt utti r S#lott) mmmmmk (—whwwhh’h". *?• wwv»- The buhl FS 36 Eusv starting Jouhlt lim tup v and go htad easy to service uir filh i s flow through primer ilatronic ignition Available at these servicing dealers EfitUfllfl Loygvllle/Carllila Bechtelsvllle PASSMORE SERVICE CENTER, INC. 11M Rout* 100 810-387-8084 TRI-BORO CONCRETE, INC. 4M LociWt St. 717-248-3088 1-800-832-8018 East Earl GOODSLAWN & GARDEN CENTER Routaas 717-384-4028 Ext 34 Ellzabathtown MESSICKEARM EQUIPMENT, INC. Rhaama ExII-Rt 213 Ellzabathtown, Eh 717-387-1318, 717-863-8887 Elm/Labanon BOMBERGER’S LAWN & GARDEN Elm: 717-884-4883 Labanoti: 717-372-4188 tropical fruit) can ripen after being picked. Climacteric fruit also emits a colorless gas called ethyl ene, which acts as a ripening agent. “Ripening apples, pears and bananas can give off a lot of ethyl ene,” Evensen says. “In an enclosed area like a fruit bowl, mixed fruit can ripen very quickly,” she adds. “In fact, if you put a ripe banana in a bag with an apple, the banana will ripen the apple—but the apple will smell like a banana” Non-climacteric fruit (citrus fruits, grapes, strawberries and small berries) is ripe when picked and does not give off ethylene unless the fruit is infected by a fungus. Evensen says these fruits do not improve with age. “You buy them, you refrigerate them and then you eat them,” Evensen says. “For instance, strawberries should be refrigerated immediate ly, even if the berries have some white on top. They are never going to get any riper.” Evensen warns that ripening For The Put Of’touTKit IWusedTimcl Merer st/hl WES STAUFFER ENGINES & EQUIPMENT 23 Rlaaaant VMlay Rd. 717-738-4218 HOLLINGER’S LAWN & GARDEN EQUIP. Ephrata, Pa. 717-73 E-1131 717-388-2710 Harahay, PA 717-833-4080 fißfi GAP POWER EQUIPMENT Comar of Rt 30 a Rt 8(7 717-442-8870 Hamburg SHARTLESVILLE FARM SERVICE R 0 1,80X13(2 810-488-1028 Jonaatown BLUE MOUNTAIN ENTERPRISES, INC. Rt 72 South 717-888-3884 When Is We you do m though w i Wd tasy here rung mad precision speed am But think a ci or that all are alike, one of th ers listed Beti talk to at man wh( owns a Stihl He’ give you more en thusiastic sales pitcl than any ad we coi .ever write s/jW br itx> Pmvt rfut huh f putfeWowtf And vihudum svsltm low undM>/i»rmitv W99W GUTSHALL’S INC. Loyavllla, M-Carllala 717-788-4343 717-243-2313 Mvaratowp EBLING LAWN & GARDEN SERVICE (M E. Lincoln Ava. 717-8884720 Oxford ENFIELD EQUIPMENT 4(00 UmaatonaM. 810-832-8888 Palmyra HERR’S REPAIR SHOP rd 2. Box 110 A 717-838-1848 Palmyra WEAVER’S LAWN & GARDEN 740 W. Main SI. 717-838-8888 Honks A & B SALES & SERVICE 370 Newport Road 2 Mllaa South of Rt. 23 Along 772 Thru Montaray Fruit Ready varies with each type of fruit and even within the same species. However, you can ripen most fruit by remembering just a few guide lines. For example, bananas are picked green and shipped to U.S. ports where they are treated with ethylene for about 24 hours. Stored at a warmer temperature than other fruit, the bananas vtfll continue to ripen during shipment, in the store and in your home. “Refrigeration slows down ripening in bananas, but the cold temperature makes bananas, a tropical fruit, turn black and go soft,” Evensen says. Tomatoes are also picked green and treated with ethylene for 24 hours so they ripen during ship ping. Evensen does not recom mend refrigerating tomatoes. If tomatoes still show some green, leave them out to ripen. In many cases, refrigeration will stop the production of ethyl ene in apples and some pears, giv ing these fruits a longer shelf life once they're purchased. ipronuse. MARTIN HARDWARE & EQUIPMENT CO. Rt