Volume 49 Number 3 Article 26
Year 1995 Month 7
Title: “Gala,` “Braeburn,` and “Fuji` Apples: Maturity Indices and Quality After Storage
Authors: A. Plotto, A.N. Azarenko, J.P. Mattheis and M.R. McDaniel
Abstract:
Changes in apple maturity indices and fruit
quality were measured weekly at harvest and
after storage for 'Gala,' 'Braeburn,' and 'Fuji'
apples.
Fruits were evaluated on the day of
harvest and after seven days at room temperature for internal ethylene concentration (IEC),
skin color, firmness, starch index (SI), total
soluble solids concentration (SSC), pH, and
titratable acidity (TA). Color, firmness, SSC,
and TA were again measured after 6,12,18, and
24 weeks for 'Gala,' and 8,16,24, and 32 weeks
for 'Braeburn' and 'Fuji' held in cold storage at 0
± 0.5C. Optimum harvest dates were determined retrospectively using consumer taste tests
conducted approximately every four weeks for
'Gala' and every eight weeks for 'Braeburn' and
'Fuji.' Horticultural maturity of 'Gala' was attained 122 DAFB for long-term storage.
On that
date, SI was highly variable, SSC was at 11
°Brix, and IEC averaged one ppm, but fruit
color was not fully developed.
Later-harvested
fruit had the best eating quality after short-term
storage in October and November. 'Braeburn'
picked 168 and 175 DAFB had the best storage
potential.
SSC was the most obvious maturity
index in 1991. Fruit harvested 154 DAFB was
already capable of producing autocatalytic
ethylene when ripened seven days at 20C. SI
increased too late (175 DAFB) to be used as a
predictor of harvest.
Fruit harvested before 168
DAFB developed scald and later harvested fruit
had very low sensory ratings after 24 weeks in
storage.
IEC in 'Fuji fruit stayed at low levels
and without autocatalytic production and therefore could not be used as a physiological predictor of maturity.
Obvious indices were the starch
index and hue value of the ground color.
The
former increased suddenly and the latter decreased by 173 DAFB. Only fruit picked 173
and 180 DAFB were free from scald and retained
good sensory quality after eight months storage.
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