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Investigatory Project in Earth and Life Sciencce

This document discusses ways to increase the shelf life of fruits and vegetables through coating and storage methods. It explains that ethylene gas causes ripening and shortens shelf life. The document proposes using a chitosan coating on bananas or separating and refrigerating fruits to reduce ethylene exposure and slow ripening. Proper storage methods like plastic wrap on bananas or hanging onions can further extend shelf life to reduce food waste.

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Mrk Lmb Blgts
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935 views3 pages

Investigatory Project in Earth and Life Sciencce

This document discusses ways to increase the shelf life of fruits and vegetables through coating and storage methods. It explains that ethylene gas causes ripening and shortens shelf life. The document proposes using a chitosan coating on bananas or separating and refrigerating fruits to reduce ethylene exposure and slow ripening. Proper storage methods like plastic wrap on bananas or hanging onions can further extend shelf life to reduce food waste.

Uploaded by

Mrk Lmb Blgts
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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ST.

NICHOLAS ACADEMY OF GUAGUA


San Nicolas 1st Guagua,Pampanga
INVESTIGATORY PROJECT
in Earth & life Science
“Increase the Shelf-Life of Fruits and Veggies”

Submitted by:
Group 2

Submitted to: Mr. Allan F. Lelay


Increase the Shelf-Life of Fruits and Veggies
Extending the shelf-life of perishable fruits and vegetables can make a huge difference for small
farmers, street-side vendors and even your average Joe—groceries aren't cheap. What is an
inexpensive and easily accessible way to make produce stay fresh longer?
That's the question behind this great investigatory science project featured here. While these
researchers focused exclusively on chitosan coating on bananas, you can branch out (no pun
intended) and try an assortment of other fruits, veggies and possible coating materials.
Ethylene is an invisible, odorless, naturally occurring gas that aids in the ripening process of
fruit. As a fruit produces more ethylene, it begins to create enzymes which help break down cell
walls and starches, making the fruit softer and sweeter over time. If it weren't for this small
hydrocarbon gas, the shelf lives of most fruits could last well over a year.
There are however a few simple steps you can take to control how quickly your fruit produces
ethylene, and by extension, manage its shelf life. With proper storage and temperature control,
Apples can stay fresh and edible for up to a year!
The window of perfect ripeness can be difficult to nail. For bananas in particular, it turns out
those brown spots are actually a good thing. They signify that the resistant starches in the
banana (which can't be broken down by your digestive system) have turned to body-fueling
sugar.
Now, if you have a bunch of bananas or a bag full of apples, together they will release a lot of
ethylene. This, of course, will cause them to ripen much faster than they would on their own.
So, we must divide and conquer.
If you want to keep your fruits fresher for longer durations, you need to separate them a much
as possible. Obviously, you don't want bananas and avocados stashed in random spots around
your house, but by separating them, you can slow down the ripening process.
It's as simple as removing packaged fruits from their bags and placing a few in the fridge and a
few on the counter. You can also store individual fruits in ziploc bags to keep them crisp. After
you eat them, just rinse and reuse the bags to cut down on waste.
This separation is super easy to do and will help keep your fruits fresh until you want to eat
them.
However, not all fruits emit this gas.
Most berries will maintain their ripeness whether they're stored together or separated. But if
you place a bunch of berries next to a bunch of bananas, the ethylene from the bananas will
still cause the berries to ripen more quickly.
For the chemists out there, you can also inject some carbon dioxide into a container of fruits to
keep the ethylene level low and prevent the fruit from producing more.
The opposite works, too. If you're looking to ripen those avocados or apples quicker for
guacamole or apple sauce, toss them into a paper bag and let them sit on the counter for a day
or so. They'll get super ripe, super quick. You can also wrap them separately in newspaper or
bury them in uncooked rice to concentrate the ethylene.
Test it out for yourself. With a few minor changes, you should be able to extend the shelf life of
your produce, which means less wasted food and money. For a complete list of fruits and
veggies that produce ethylene (or are sensitive to it), check out this guide by The Kitchn.
Each year, about 40% of all food produced in the United States goes uneaten and gets thrown
away. Become a part of the solution and not the problem by practicing the following simple
hacks to make your produce and perishables from the supermarket last for as long as possible.
To prevent your banana bunch from getting brown too quickly, simply wrap the crown with a
piece of plastic wrap. For storing onions, hang them in pantyhose and make sure to never store
them with potatoes.
If you love green onions but can never seem to find the time to finish the entire bunch before
they spoil, cut them up, place inside water bottle, and freeze them. When you want to use
green onions in cooking, you can simply sprinkle them out of the water bottle directly onto a
hot pan.

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