Photo by Brienne Hong on Unsplash
It is best to pick and consume fresh fruit and vegetables as close to harvest as possible however, some can be picked early and continue to ripen.
If you are growing your own it is good to understand the different stages – mature, ripe, bolting.
- Mature means that the fruit has finished it’s physiological development and is capable of ripening
- Ripe is when it is ready to eat with peak texture and flavour.
- Bolting is when a plant goes from mostly leaf based to being flower or seed based. The crop will go woody and taste bitter.
Some fruit and vegetables will only ripen on the plant and some can (or must in the case of avocados) ripen after picking. Here is a handy list to help you sort between the two.
References
Liz Meimann: Which fruit will ripen after picking
Melissa J Will: 25 fruits that can ripen after picking
Heather Ogden-Handa
Good to meet you! I’m a marketer and writer interested in aging and longevity. I see lots of great information out there, so I’m keen to share topics that take my interest. Over time I hope the knowledge and community around this blog will have a positive impact on the healthy lifestyles of many individuals.