๐Ÿ”ฌ Science

The apple that is still breathing

An apple that has just fallen from the tree looks finished. But inside it keeps living: it breathes, its starch turns into sugar, and its acid fades โ€” day by day, while it sits on the kitchen counter.

Guess first: does the apple get sweeter or more sour as it sits in the bowl?

Day 21 ยท soft and sweet

Day 21: less acid, more sugar โ€” and softer flesh.

Drag across the picture to scrub through the days, or tap for the next day.

Starch
Sugar
Acid

The bars show the direction of change, not exact measurements.

The apple breathing out carbon dioxide
Starch
Sugar
1Eat the first apple today and note its taste
2One in the fridge, one in the bowl โ€” wait a week
3Feel them with your eyes shut: which is softer?
4An adult cuts a slice of each apple
5Write down a guess: sweetest and sourest?
6Taste with your nose held โ€” then let go