Green Harvesting

Most of the fruit and vegetables we buy in the shops have travelled long distances. It is understandable that in order to have produce that is still in good condition after this long distance transport, the produce needs to be green ie unripe. Ripe produce would damage and spoil from handling, and the ripening process would continue, resulting in over-ripe damaged fruit and vegetables. This would not be desirable for either the farmer, the retailer, or for the consumer.

What are the effects of green harvesting? The biological signal for a plant to synthesise the initial micronutrient molecules is the maturation of the fruit, vegetable or seed. Until then the plant has been storing the essential nutrients or phytochemicals in the plant itself not in the fruit or vegetable. Once the fruit or vegetable is 100% ripe the phytochemicals are released from the plant into the skins and pulp of the fruit or vegetable. One of the functions of these phytochemicals is to act as a sun block to slow down the aging process of the fruit and vegetables so they don't go from ripe to rotten so fast.

Smell the difference between a fruit or vegetable that has been vine/tree ripened and one that has been ripen artificially after it was picked green. We can smell the goodness. An interesting experiment is to take a thin slice from a tomato (or any other fruit/veg) that has been vine ripened and a slice from a shop tomato and put the two pieces outside. Watch and see which one the ants go to first. And we think we're smart!!!!