# Rapidly ripening bananas **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 8, 2009, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rapidly-ripening-bananas/488757 "2009-03-08T19:57:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swords_to_Plowshares)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2009, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rapidly-ripening-bananas/488757/1 "2009-03-08T19:57:44Z")
For some reason, the bananas obtained from my university’s dining halls seem to ripen much faster than normal bananas under normal circumstances. The following banana had no blemishes nor brown spots/streaks and was tinted green on the ends when it was obtained from the dining hall. In only two hours in my dorm, you can see how much it has ripened. Similar results been observed every time a banana was taken from the dining hall to the dorm. [http://img23.imageshack.us/done.php?l=img23/8493/img0063z.jpg](http://img23.imageshack.us/done.php?l=img23/8493/img0063z.jpg) [http://img23.imageshack.us/done.php?l=img22/8420/img0064o.jpg](http://img23.imageshack.us/done.php?l=img22/8420/img0064o.jpg) So, I ask, what is causing these bananas to ripen at such an alarming rate? Are they using some chemical on the bananas to make them appear better in the dining halls that is rapidly wearing off? Could it be the dry heat in my dorm? What gives? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2009, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rapidly-ripening-bananas/488757/2 "2009-03-08T20:16:45Z")
Perhaps your dorm is rich in [ethylene gas](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fruit_ripening#Ripening_agents), a agent used to artificially ripen fruit. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2009, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rapidly-ripening-bananas/488757/3 "2009-03-08T20:42:01Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Perhaps your dorm is rich in [ethylene gas](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fruit_ripening#Ripening_agents), a agent used to artificially ripen fruit. Or acetylene, that’ll do it too under some conditions. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2009, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rapidly-ripening-bananas/488757/4 "2009-03-08T21:28:08Z")
It would be better if the images were taken of the same side of the banana, instead on flipping it over for the second photo. There is no way to honestly make a time comparison. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2009, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rapidly-ripening-bananas/488757/5 "2009-03-08T21:35:32Z")
I’ve voiced to many people I work with, and friends, that bananas I’ve purchased the last year or so seem to ripen MUCH faster than they used to. ---
**Author:** ![Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swords_to_Plowshares)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2009, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rapidly-ripening-bananas/488757/6 "2009-03-08T21:45:31Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > It would be better if the images were taken of the same side of the banana, instead on flipping it over for the second photo. There is no way to honestly make a time comparison. Perhaps I should have clarified what those images were. Those were the two sides of the banana, and the pictures were taken at the same time (2 hours after the banana was brought to the dorm). ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2009, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rapidly-ripening-bananas/488757/7 "2009-03-08T21:52:45Z")
How was the banana transported from the dining hall to the dorm? In your hand? In a backpack? Tied to a string dragging behind your bike? It looks like it has some abrasions or mechanical bruising that might account for dark spots forming rapidly. ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2009, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rapidly-ripening-bananas/488757/8 "2009-03-08T22:42:27Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > I’ve voiced to many people I work with, and friends, that bananas I’ve purchased the last year or so seem to ripen MUCH faster than they used to. I’ve noticed this as well… I usually eat 2 bananas a day. I buy enough on Saturday to last my entire work week (Sun.-Thurs.), and I get them as green as possible… but by Thursday they are almost too ripe to eat. Weird! ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2009, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rapidly-ripening-bananas/488757/9 "2009-03-08T22:52:20Z")
> [@](#): > > Rapidity of the degreening processes was correlated to rising temperatures, increasing concentrations of the ripening hormones and time of incubation. An acceptable colour of the peel as well as ripeness of the fruit was determined 5 to 8 days after initiating treatment. > **[Acta Horticulturae](https://www.actahort.org/members/showpdf?booknrarnr=138_19)** > > ISHS Acta Horticulturae Whoever starts the ripening process may have begun using more ethylene or switched to another ripening agent, [ethrel](http://www.chemindustry.com/chemicals/1030419.html). Perhaps the dining halls just keep their bananas at a higher temp than the grocery stores do. ---
**Author:** ![DaveRaver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daveraver/32/1078_2.png) [@DaveRaver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaveRaver)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rapidly-ripening-bananas/488757/10 "2009-03-09T00:10:16Z")
Just wondering: Do you find that YOU are also aging faster than normal in your dorm?