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United States Patent | 3,620,765 |
November 16, 1971 |
A process for accelerating the ripening of unripe fruits in boxes, such as bananas, tomatoes, melons, pears, avocadoes, and the like, wherein the fruit is subjected to a timed ripening initiation step at temperatures of 68.degree. to 95.degree. F. in the presence of ethylene gas, and may then be subjected to subsequent stages of ripening and storage at selected temperatures. Improved uniformity of ripening may be made by subjecting unripe fruit to an initial high temperature whereby fruit previously uninitiated to ripening may be effected while simultaneously retarding ripening of fruit previously initiated to ripening.
Inventors: | Gerald F. McDonnell (Birmingham, AL), Hugh T. Freebairn (Houston, TX) |
Assignee: |
Banana Control
(Inc.,
New Orleans)
|
Appl. No.: | 04/767,426 |
Filed: | October 14, 1968 |
Current U.S. Class: | 426/263 ; 426/312; 99/453; 99/485 |
Current International Class: | A23B 7/152 (20060101); A23B 7/144 (20060101); A23b 007/04 (); A23l 001/00 () |
Field of Search: | 99/100,103,225 |
3411894 | November 1968 | Lieberman et al. |
Sinclair, ed. "The Orange, Its Biochemistry and Physiology," University . of Calif. Printing Dept. 1961 pp. 113, 118, 114 . Baier, "Coloring Citrus Fruits," California Fruit Growers Exchange, June . 1962, pp. 3, 11, 12, 13, 36, 41 . Kahman, "Ethylene Treatment of Tomatoes," Industrial Eng. Chemistry, Oct. . 1931 pp. 1112-1113. |