Why Does Fruit Ripen Faster in a Paper Bag?

It’s all about the ethylene gas.

A Cheese Primer

CHOW’s guide to the major cheese types.

Boozy Campfire Cheese

Doused with liquor, wrapped in foil, and baked in campfire ashes.

to ripen them up? I can place outside on my patio table (in the 80’s-90’s here), or place in a paper bag in the kitchen. Or, are they just a lost cause?

I read somewhere—probably here—that one could hasten the ripening of an avocado by microwaving it BRIEFLY. Is this true? Or is the best way still the old apple-in-the-paper-bag trick?

them in a brown paper bag along with 1 ripe banana, cause I heard that bananas release a chemical that helps other fruits ripen...is that true? is this a good strategy and will it work? Any advice? Dave M.P.

ones hoping they would get better... I stuck them on a windowsill but so far only one of four has any aroma. I know Irwin was trying to ripen some quincey-type fruit a few days ago in a paper bag with a banana. Were you...

Forgive my ignorance but how does one tell when a cheese is “ripe”? I assume that different cheeses ripen at different times and there is much to this scientific process. But, can I tell from looking at it at the...

a uniform bright orange appearance...a few small black spots or even streaks are OK, not however if they are holes. Just a hint of yielding to gentle pressure is preferable, a clue that the persimmon is closer to or even capable...

Please Pass the Dijon

Oregon Chardonnays find their footing with a different clone.

Down with Boring Pinots

Some American growers are embracing genetic diversity and making better wines for it.

Crushed Out

CHOW visits Napa winery Clos Du Val and learns how wine is made.

When to Pick

How do winemakers decide when their grapes are ripe?

Zinfandel's Not the Ugly American

That loud, blowzy wine gets tamed.

What's the Difference Between a Pluot and an Aprium?

Bizarre fruit machinations.