Do apples really ripen faster if you put them next to bananas?

Asked by: Sue Dodd, Newcastle

Yes. Many ripening fruit produce the hydrocarbon gas ethylene as they ripen, which itself triggers more ripening. Bananas are especially productive sources of the gas, and putting one that's in the process of going brown next to apples, pears or hard avocados will greatly speed up their ripening.

Read more:

• How many Fruit Pastilles would you need to eat to get one of your five-a-day?
• Is the sugar in fruit bad for us?

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