?Fruit Question?

Question

why does colder air kepp an apple fresher than warmer air (as in room temperature)

Answer 1

Most foods will spoil naturally in time. Molds will eventually start to consume the food. Fruit has more sugar and moisture than other foods, making it an excellent food for mold. Lower temperatures slow the growth of mold and the oxidation of the fruit as it reacts with oxygen. Most chemical reactions (including the process of mold repoducing) are slowed at lower temperatures. This is also why we freeze food to preserve it.

Answer 2

As temperature starts to rise the molecules that make up the environment vibrate more than they do already. This is why you get burned when you touch a hot surface. Colder air doesn't stop this vibration, but it slows it down. When the molecules have more energy (because of the increased temperature) they are more likely to bond with other molecules. Oxygen forms bonds with the carbohydrates in the apple and take away the potential energy that the carbohydrate contained. When this happens your apple is decomposing.

Answer 3

It is the enzymes in the apple that react faster as the fruit is warmer. The faster these enzymes react the faster the fruit breaks down. Texture is then impacted and the apples are not as fresh as apples keep cooler.

Answer 4

Whatever aging micro-organisms are around will naturally act more quickly in warmer temperatures. Apples are best kept in carbon dioxide.