Why does 'ripen at home' fruit from supermarkets never actually ripen?

I have just tried to eat a week-old apricot with all the appeal and texture of a conker.

Why does 'ripen at home' fruit from supermarkets never actually ripen?
Good point. Also, is it just me or did fruit used to taste better? Apples were crunchy, peaches were juicy and grapes had lots of flavour. Try sticking your fruit in the airing cupboard for a day or two, that works for me.
Reply:If you're like most people, you'll go looking for something else to eat.



Everytime that happens, the industry has just doubled your 'demand'. In other words, you're 'consuming' twice as much as you would have otherwise.



Nifty trick, eh? No wonder Tesco's profits are so enormous.
Reply:Because they're picked way too under-ripe. Most fruits will not ripen further once picked. They will rot, but no more sugar will form, so they taste like crap. Oh, and the apples at the grocery stores are probably two years old by the time you get them. If you can indent an apple with slight pressure of your finger, it's extremely old (I'm talking years).
Reply:Try putting them in a paper bag with a banana. The gases that the banana gives off hasten ripening of the fruits that are exposed to it.