Why pears rot faster...

... than apples

BBC News site

A good friend sent me this link the other day; apparently scientists have now worked out exactly why pears rot so much faster apples (& also why apples float, while pears sink)
Being a bit of a biology nerd I found it quite interesting, so thought I'd share it with the forum, hope it's of some interest to somebody else!

BTW hope this is in the right part of the forum! (If not, sincere apologies, the fruit and veg section seemed the most appropriate of the available options.)

 

That explains why pears are left in the fruit bowl because they have gone soft too fast for my family's liking.

 

I just love the idea that it took research, using expensive state of the art equipment, to establish that apples contain more air than pears, when (as the article mentions) you could probably come to the same conclusion from throwing the two fruits into a bucket of water. :D

I suppose the clever bit is working out the connection between the shape & extent of the air spaces and how long it takes the fruit to spoil. *shrug*

 

Hello PRodgers, i`m not the sharpest knife in the drawer but if you want pears to stay firm in the bowl, don`t put any other fruit in with them.I know this to be true because it used to bug me when pears were always left bruised and uneaten.So i thought maybe it`s the same as when you put a banana skin with tomatoes to ripen them.Something about the gasses they give off?? Well, i experimented,in my very high tech kinda way and eurika! no more gammy pears.:D

 

reminds me of this hilarious eddie izzard sketch!!

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=7jSE3JANx14

 

I'd not seen that b4 Andy. Good.
John