New York Times readers want to know: Do fruits that are ripe have greater vitamin value than those that aren’t? And what about sugar? Luckily, Cornell food scientist Rui Hai Liu has the answers. As he told the newspaper’s popular “Q&A” section: “Generally speaking, yes.“ In most fruits, the vitamin content and the amount of valuable phytochemicals — antioxidants called phenolics, flavonoids and carotenoids — are higher in ripe fruits than in under-ripe fruits. As for sugar: “The sugar content increases in most fruits as they ripen and reach their peak. Most fruits when they are under-ripe do not taste good and may be unhealthy, like an under-ripe persimmon.”
Keep Exploring
Report
Relevance Farmers across New York face rising input costs, labor shortages, and increasing environmental regulations that affect profitability. Small, dispersed fields and limited access to custom services can slow adoption of cost-saving...
News
A team of Cornell students bested the competition with their invention: an autonomous robot that kills weeds with electricity.
We openly share valuable knowledge.
Sign up for more insights, discoveries and solutions.
Please enter a valid email address to subscribe to the newsletter.