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16-05-2018, 06:25 PM
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Re: Why are blueberries green inside?

I have never noticed, they always look dark purple to me and I love them on my Porridge every morning.
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17-05-2018, 10:15 AM
12

Re: Why are blueberries green inside?

Originally Posted by Surfermom ->
That was a terrible response on my part. This is the short story long:

First, as they mature on the plant, plants release a natural plant hormone called ethylene that allows them to become sweet and develop the color, texture and flavor that we associate with ripeness.

Next, there are two kinds of fruits. Climacteric and non-climacteric.

Climacteric plants can be picked before they reach full maturity and shipped. When they reach their destination port, they are put in chambers exposing them to a gaseous, synthetic form of ethylene, which allows the ripening to continue well-past the time in which they were immaturely harvested. Bananas and tomatoes fall into that category.

Non-climacteric plants like grapes, pineapples, and orange do not have a burst of ethylene as they mature, but instead have other hormones like abscisic acid that cause them to ripen. These fruits don't ripen when put in ethylene chambers. Blueberries only marginally respond to ethylene treatment.

All fruits do continue to ripen after harvest, but when thinking about harvesting on an industrial level, it's a less likely that you will find blueberries, grapes, and pineapple at the perfect level of sweetness when you purchase them in a store - because they weren't treated. For non-climacteric fruits, it's a much bigger headache to harvest and ship without the fruit being too ripe or underripe. This is one of the reasons blueberries are a lot more expensive than bananas.

Blueberries are also large-window fruits, which means that on the same plant, some berries will be green while others will be beyond peak ripeness. With automation, you can see why there tends to be arange of ripeness in the basket that you purchase.

So, you have untreated blueberries that were picked too green and are at the mercy of ripening on their own without the help of the mother plants, cannot be treated with ethylene to stimulate their ripening, and were picked with other berries with a range of ripeness.

Poor little fellows.
Good explanation, but mine are ripe yet still green inside.

And your post helps to explain about bananas - I never keep them next to any other fruit as they can hasten the process and make that other fruit over-ripe.
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17-05-2018, 10:51 AM
13

Re: Why are blueberries green inside?

Rather than blueberries, I prefer bilberries, but never see them anywhere these days except in jars. I am sure they are blue/purple inside.
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17-05-2018, 11:08 AM
14

Re: Why are blueberries green inside?

Blackcurrants are my favourite, especially with some natural yogurt. You hardly ever see them though, generally in the late summer for a few weeks.
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17-05-2018, 01:44 PM
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Re: Why are blueberries green inside?

Originally Posted by Val J ->
Rather than blueberries, I prefer bilberries, but never see them anywhere these days except in jars. I am sure they are blue/purple inside.
I used to love bilberry tarts when I lived in Lancashire but I have never seen bilberries here in Wales.
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17-05-2018, 02:24 PM
16

Re: Why are blueberries green inside?

I wonder if they are a northern fruit Leia, I know they tend to grow on the moors and are difficult to find. I remember picking them as a child but have not seen them to pick or to buy for years. Bilberry pie yum!
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17-05-2018, 02:34 PM
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Re: Why are blueberries green inside?

I love gooseberries too...and greengages.
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17-05-2018, 04:14 PM
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Re: Why are blueberries green inside?

Our neighbour brings us Greengages every summer bowls of it, lovely, then you're in the toilet for the rest of the day for eating too many.
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17-05-2018, 04:18 PM
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Re: Why are blueberries green inside?

Greengages are quite hard to find sometimes, the major stores don't always stock them.
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17-05-2018, 07:10 PM
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Re: Why are blueberries green inside?

I don't like Blueberries, so never really thought any more of it.
Now cherries, don't get me started.
 
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