Oranges won't ripen after harvest
Q. I know that some fruits are picked early and allowed to ripen on the way to the market, but is this the case with citrus fruits? I have read that oranges will lose their vitamin C if held too long, but I do not enjoy bitter fruits and would prefer that they be at the peak of sweetness and ripeness. How can you tell when an orange is ripe and ready? Does the color become a deeper shade of orange when they are ready?
S.B., Des Moines, Iowa
A. There is no reason to save an orange in the hopes that it will undergo any improvement in flavor or nutritional value.
It is true that some fruits, such as bananas and stone fruit, contain enzymes that remain active after harvest, and these enzymes can breakdown complex carbohydrates into simpler, sweeter tasting sugars. This will not happen to any significant degree with citrus fruits, such as oranges, lemons or limes; these fruits are traditionally harvested at the peak of ripeness.
When it is picked, the orange is as sweet as it's going to be. It is also the time at which the vitamin C content is at the highest. Color would seem to be a logical key, but it is not a lock as an indicator of ripeness.
Oranges may "regreen" on the tree as they sit at the peak of ripeness awaiting harvest. The overall color is more a reflection of the temperature prior to harvest than of the flavors locked inside.
Although oranges will keep for a few days at room temperature, it's best to keep oranges in the refrigerator. When an orange begins to shrivel, the nutrient value has started its decline. I don't, however, have a time chart which says how much and when. The juiciest fruits tend to be those that are heaviest for their size.
Q. I am taking a multivitamin, but the bottle I just purchased and opened has a terrible odor. This is not something I noticed in the previous bottles of this product that I have purchased and used. I checked the date, but the bottle has well over a year until it expires. What do you recommend?
V.J., San Diego, Calif.
A. Stop taking the product from this bottle. It is difficult to say what is going on in this particular multivitamin, as I don't know what is in that formula.
As a general rule, don't take products that have odors or colors that seem off, especially if they differ from your prior experiences. Contact the store where you purchased the product. Follow their directions as to whether it should be sent back or discarded.
You also have the option of contacting the manufacturer. They should want to know the lot number and where you purchased the product. I say "should" because in an ideal world the manufacturer would want to better understand the nature of the problem and whether it originated during the manufacturing process or after the product left their plant.
The manufacturer, however, may only want to provide a replacement, as the time involved in tracking down an error may not be in their economic interest. You learn a lot about a company by the way they handle their problems and consumer complaints.