Bananas

[Hopkirk]

Is it true that bananas give off a gas that ripens other fruit?

Sounds ridiculous to me.

[grasscarp]

Yes. And it's why you can have a hook thing to keep them on their own.

[Hopkirk]

I bought a punnet of under ripe peaches today. (Ripen at home, they call them)

They are rock hard so I have stood a bunch of bananas on top. Will that do it?

[grasscarp]

Yes
In a bag
http://m.wikihow.com/Ripen-Peaches

[Hopkirk]

Blimey

[rockyracoon]

If you put bananas near a vase of cut flowers, the gas (ethylene) will make them die off quicker.

[ivor4781]

and... slightly radio active too

[gingejbee]

...and, if you want to be up-to-date, you'd be calling the gas "ethene".

[piggynose]

ideal for ripening hard kiwi fruit, just simply put a bunch of green bananas in a plastic bag with some hard kiwi fruit, after about a week or so, hey presto, soft kiwis

[boxtops]

Yep, absolutely true. If you put them in a bowl with other fruit, the other fruit goes off in a flash :-(

[pastafreak]

Why am I thinking the kiwis would ripen in a week anyway...?
But yes,bananas do work.

[jennyjoan]

Surely the kiwis would ripen after a week with or without bananas.

[pastafreak]

Lol! Great minds,jenny :-)