Re: How Do Banana's rot Faster than Apple's

Hello, Joshua.

Rotting is a process whereby a fruit 'overripens.' It's desirable for all fruits to ripen, as they become sweeter and more edible, but only to a point. The ripenening stage is actually a step or so before its death. We call this last stage, rotting. Bananas ripen faster than apples because they are more sensitive, as they have softer cellular tissues. Bananas are extremely sensitive to injury and they have a much more active metabolism to break down tissue. This is produced by their very active enzyme system. Another factor is that bananas produce higher levels of a 'ripening gas' called ethylene than apples do. This also speeds up ripening, which if allowed to continue for too long a period, they will rot. A simple comparison is that even under ideal conditions apples can be stored for many months, whereas bananas may last only up to two weeks. Apples also contain Vitamin C under their skin which aids in their preservation.

Hope that helps,

Peter Bosani.

Further reading and reference: Kithchen Science; by H. Hillman.
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Co.,