John Banta

How many children have had to eat over ripe bananas on their cereal because Mother wants to use up the bananas before they get brown and mushy? That may be a problem of yesterday now that Hydrogel (chitosan) is being considered as an antioxidant spray. When bananas are harvested they are not ripe and they continue to ripen on the way to the market. The banana fruit respires in order to ripen. This process is retarded via cooling until we buy the bananas. Then we are advised not to put the fruit into the refrigerator as that will cause them to turn brown. So the bananas set out in the kitchen and quickly get covered in brown spots and become mushy. Now, thanks to shrimp and crab shells the shelf life of bananas has been extended from days to weeks. The coat of chitosan prevents oxygen from reaching the fruit thus slowing down respiration (ripening). In as much as the banana peel is discarded there is no problem with washing or harmful additives. The banana remains the favorite breakfast fruit.

Kegas76

Snarkie

Can you spray them with lacquer or dip them in wax to do the same thing?

__________________
Doug (D.A. Hänks) http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2955582/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1


The Only Eastern Redwood Forest in America




"Nuke my 'nanners, will you?!"

John Banta

The chemical solvents in lacquer would taint the fruit. Wax is a process used on many fruit already. Good idea! banta