Climacteric fruits are fruits that continue to ripen after being picked from their plant. During this process, enzymes inside the fruit convert starch into simple sugars like glucose and fructose, and soften the fruit by breaking down cell walls. Compare to non-climacteric fruits, which do not ripen after picking and must therefore stay on the plant until their desired condition is reached.
Fruits undergoing this process will produce ethylene, a hormone, which accelerates the changes in the fruit, and also release ethylene into the air around them. This can be used to accelerate ripening by placing strongly ethylene-producing fruits in a closed environment, such as a paper bag, with fruits that benefit from increased ethylene. Apples and bananas are particularly well-known as ethylene producers.
An incomplete list of climacteric fruits includes: