Question on rotting pineapples?

In article <[email hidden]>,

Anth said:

I've noticed that when I've left my pineapples for a while
and when I've peeled them to see if they are fit to eat,
I've noticed that they tend to go bad from the core
outwards. The core becomes dark coloured while the outer
fruit has not? If this is true, then has anyone got an
explanation for this?

This is a strange question for sci.med. sci.bio.botany would
be a better choice, so I've added it.

The answer, however, is simple. The fruit isn't rotting,
it's ripening. Ripening involves the breakdown of pectins
and other structural materials and the conversion of
starches to sugar. Pineapples also produce bromelain, a protein-
digesting enzyme, to discourage herbivores from eating the
fruit before the seeds are mature, so you'll note that not
only are these discolored fruits much sweeter and more
aromatic, they also won't make your mouth burn as much. The
fruit ripens from the inside out. If you let it continue to
ripen, the outer parts will get darker, softer, sweeter and
more aromatic, but the core may also be attacked by yeasts
and molds which cause rotting.

So where are the seeds? Pineapples are sterile triploids
and don't make seeds. The fruits of their normal
relatives have a very hard, pea-sized seed in each of the
segments, and have probably evolved to have their seeds
distibuted by a herbivore large enough to swallow the
seeds whole and break down the seed coat in their
digestive tracts. Such herbivores are attracted by a
fragrant, softened, sweet fruit in which the bromelain
feeding deterrent has broken down.

People in temperate regions are accustomed to eat tropical
fruits in an immature state, because they are picked
immature and shipped in that condition. If you talk to
people from tropical countries, they'll tell you that they
eat fruit ripe, when it's too soft to ship any distance
and very rich in flavour. Many fruits don't ripen well off
the plant, and people who've had the real thing feel the
same way about the tropical fruits we get in the north as
anyone who's eaten a real field-grown picked-ripe tomato
feels about the rock-hard ones in the supermarket in the
winter that are almost indistinguishable in flavour from
head lettuce.

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>, Anth

Quoted message said:

I've noticed that when I've left my pineapples for a
while and when I've peeled them to see if they are fit to
eat, I've noticed that they tend to

go

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

bad from the core outwards. The core becomes dark
coloured while the outer fruit has not? If this is true,
then has anyone got an explanation for this?

This is a strange question for sci.med. sci.bio.botany
would be a better choice, so I've added it.

The answer, however, is simple. The fruit isn't rotting,
it's ripening. Ripening involves the breakdown of pectins
and other structural materials and the conversion of
starches to sugar. Pineapples also produce bromelain, a
protein-digesting enzyme, to discourage herbivores from
eating the fruit before the seeds are mature, so you'll
note that not only are these discolored fruits much
sweeter and more aromatic, they also won't make your mouth
burn as much. The fruit ripens from the inside out. If you
let it continue to ripen, the outer parts will get darker,
softer, sweeter and more aromatic, but the core may also
be attacked by yeasts and molds which cause rotting.

Have you got any info on the mechanism that makes them ripen
from the inside out? (I don't always throw the pineapples
away when they darken - only sometimes, I do find them a lot
sweeter that way)

Quoted message said:

So where are the seeds? Pineapples are sterile triploids
and don't make seeds. The fruits of their normal
relatives have a very hard, pea-sized seed in each of the
segments, and have probably evolved to have their seeds
distibuted by a herbivore large enough to swallow the
seeds whole and break down the seed coat in their
digestive tracts. Such herbivores are attracted by a
fragrant, softened, sweet fruit in which the bromelain
feeding deterrent has broken down.

People in temperate regions are accustomed to eat tropical
fruits in an immature state, because they are picked
immature and shipped in that condition. If you talk to
people from tropical countries, they'll tell you that they
eat fruit ripe, when it's too soft to ship any distance
and very rich in flavour. Many fruits don't ripen well off
the plant, and people who've had the real thing feel the
same way about the tropical fruits we get in the north as
anyone who's eaten a real field-grown picked-ripe tomato
feels about the rock-hard ones in the supermarket in the
winter that are almost indistinguishable in flavour from
head lettuce.

Interesting post - I should test other fruits to see if they
ripen from the inside out. Thanks.. Anth

In article <[email hidden]>,

Anth said:

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>, Anth

Quoted message said:

I've noticed that when I've left my pineapples for a
while and when I've peeled them to see if they are fit
to eat, I've noticed that they tend to

go

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

bad from the core outwards. The core becomes dark
coloured while the outer fruit has not? If this is true,
then has anyone got an explanation for this?

This is a strange question for sci.med. sci.bio.botany
would be a better choice, so I've added it.

The answer, however, is simple. The fruit isn't rotting,
it's ripening. Ripening involves the breakdown of pectins
and other structural materials and the conversion of
starches to sugar. Pineapples also produce bromelain, a
protein-digesting enzyme, to discourage herbivores from
eating the fruit before the seeds are mature, so you'll
note that not only are these discolored fruits much
sweeter and more aromatic, they also won't make your
mouth burn as much. The fruit ripens from the inside out.
If you let it continue to ripen, the outer parts will get
darker, softer, sweeter and more aromatic, but the core
may also be attacked by yeasts and molds which cause
rotting.

Have you got any info on the mechanism that makes them
ripen from the inside out? (I don't always throw the
pineapples away when they darken - only sometimes, I do
find them a lot sweeter that way)

Quoted message said:

So where are the seeds? Pineapples are sterile triploids
and don't make seeds. The fruits of their normal
relatives have a very hard, pea-sized seed in each of the
segments, and have probably evolved to have their seeds
distibuted by a herbivore large enough to swallow the
seeds whole and break down the seed coat in their
digestive tracts. Such herbivores are attracted by a
fragrant, softened, sweet fruit in which the bromelain
feeding deterrent has broken down.

People in temperate regions are accustomed to eat
tropical fruits in an immature state, because they are
picked immature and shipped in that condition. If you
talk to people from tropical countries, they'll tell you
that they eat fruit ripe, when it's too soft to ship any
distance and very rich in flavour. Many fruits don't
ripen well off the plant, and people who've had the real
thing feel the same way about the tropical fruits we get
in the north as anyone who's eaten a real field-grown picked-
ripe tomato feels about the rock-hard ones in the
supermarket in the winter that are almost
indistinguishable in flavour from head lettuce.

Interesting post - I should test other fruits to see if
they ripen from the inside out.

At least some cultivars of mangoes do this. It may well be a
general feature of fruit ripening, but only really obvious
in those with a "core" (pineapples) or with a central seed,
and a fairly thick layer of flesh around the centre. Even if
those with a relatively thin layer of flesh (e.g. litchi,
longan, rambutan) do the same thing, it's probably not all
that noticeable when eaten.

Cheers, Phred.

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"Phred" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>, "Anth"

Quoted message said:

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>, Anth
<[email hidden]> wrote:
>I've noticed that when I've left my pineapples for a
>while and when

I've

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

>peeled them to see if they are fit to eat, I've
>noticed that they tend

to

While living in Costa Rica my maid would keep over ripened
pineapple to make chicha(a type of fruit wine). It was
delicious and would quickly put you on your butt.

There was also another one made from drippings from the
stalk of the Coyol{a type of coconut). Personally, I found
the pre-fermented juice tasted terrific.

Chuck

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