Fruits are ready to eat when they are fully ripe. However, have we wondered what causes fruit to ripen? Under natural conditions, a gaseous plant hormone called ethylene is released by the plant, triggering the production of enzymes responsible for fruit ripening. During ripening, fruits tend to change from green to other colours, including purple, orange, and blue because the chlorophyll pigment is broken down and other pigments tend to accumulate in the fruit.
