To define ripening and maturation: Ripening refers to the improvement of the fruit's outer peel color, while maturation is the process of bringing the fruit to the desired taste, color, and quality.
The ripening and maturation process takes place in specially designed rooms with temperature and humidity control, ventilation systems, and thermal and gas insulation.r.
The necessary conditions for a successful ripening and maturation process are:
- Temperature (For ripening: 20-28°C, for maturation: 14-20°C)
- Relative Humidity (85-95%)
- Ethylene Gas (For ripening: 3-10 ppm, for maturation: 100-1000 ppm)
- Air Circulation (The air should circulate through the room 25-30 times per hour)
- Time (Ripening and maturation duration: 48-96 hours)
After the application of ethylene gas, the room door should remain closed for 24 hours. After this period, the room should be ventilated. Depending on the type and variety of the product, the bananas will mature and ripen, reaching their edible state and yellowing within 2-4 days.
The changes occurring on the banana peel surfaces during the ripening and maturation process are shown in the image below.
According to these stages, the most suitable step for marketing the bananas is step 4, while the most suitable step for consumption is step 6.
In the ripening process, the duration can be shortened or extended depending on market demands. In this case, the choice of temperature for ripening is crucial. For example, at 18°C, changes in peel color occur within 4 days, whereas at 14°C, color transformation and ripening take place over 8 days.
In the adjustment of temperature in ripening and maturation rooms, the temperature of the fruit flesh should be prioritized over the room temperature. Therefore, the fruit flesh temperature should be checked periodically when determining the ideal temperature.
If the insulation of the ripening room is properly done, 100-150 ppm of ethylene for 24 hours will be sufficient for banana ripening. To achieve a homogeneous ripening and maturation process, the room should be ventilated after 24 hours. If ventilation is not carried out, the CO2 produced as a result of the fruit's respiration will increase in the environment, which suppresses the ripening effect and prevents homogeneous ripening. Therefore, the CO2 concentration in the room should not exceed 1%.
Frigo Mekanik offers project design, implementation, and technical service with equipment that provides the most cost-effective and high-quality solution for fruit ripening and maturation.
Applications in Banana Ripening Rooms
Equipment ensuring precise temperature and humidity controlGas-tight automatic sectional doorsEthylene injection systemComputerized monitoring and recording system during the ripening processRefrigerators and cooling systems designed to minimize product moisture lossSingle-tier, two-tier, and three-tier loading systems
Banana Ripening and Maturation Room Control System:
The microprocessor-based control system used in banana ripening rooms can control heating and cooling in three different zones.
Optionally, additional sensors can be added to the system to control humidity, pressure, ethylene levels, and ventilation.
The control system provides easy operation in Turkish via a computer interface. Additionally, remote control is possible through a modem.
The control system can record data and generate graphs through the connected computer. It allows temperature programming for up to 9 days with 20 different programs.
