Articles
QUALITY OF ‘SWEETHEART’ CHERRY UNDER DIFFERENT STORAGE CONDITIONS
Article number
1020_12
Pages
101 – 110
Language
English
Abstract
In Portalegre, Portugal, sweet cherry production is very important to the regions economic sustainability.
The sweet cherry Sweetheart has exhibited short shelf life in spite of being highly appreciated by consumers due to its organoleptic characteristics.
In this trial, we evaluated fruit quality of Sweetheart stored under different storage conditions: 1) cold conditions (1ºC and high humidity 95%), 2) cold conditions and polypropylene film bags (MA), and 3) controlled atmosphere (CA) (1°C, 95% humidity, 10% CO2 and 8% O2). Fruit physical and chemical parameters were evaluated after 0, 6, 13, 20 and 27 days of cold storage.
Quality parameters tested included weight loss, external colour (L* a* b*), visual assessment of the epidermis, epidermis and mesocarp penetration test, soluble solids content (SSC), and titratable acidity (TA). We also performed sensory analyses.
The results for textural properties, colour coordinates and sensory analysis suggest that Sweetheart fruit can be stored under cold conditions, 1°C, 95% humidity, for up to 21 days without significant loss of quality.
Controlled atmosphere maintained tissue turgidity during storage; however, this was not noticed by the panelists, who consistently classified fruits stored under CA conditions with lower overall ratings than fruits under cold conditions with or without film bags.
The sweet cherry Sweetheart has exhibited short shelf life in spite of being highly appreciated by consumers due to its organoleptic characteristics.
In this trial, we evaluated fruit quality of Sweetheart stored under different storage conditions: 1) cold conditions (1ºC and high humidity 95%), 2) cold conditions and polypropylene film bags (MA), and 3) controlled atmosphere (CA) (1°C, 95% humidity, 10% CO2 and 8% O2). Fruit physical and chemical parameters were evaluated after 0, 6, 13, 20 and 27 days of cold storage.
Quality parameters tested included weight loss, external colour (L* a* b*), visual assessment of the epidermis, epidermis and mesocarp penetration test, soluble solids content (SSC), and titratable acidity (TA). We also performed sensory analyses.
The results for textural properties, colour coordinates and sensory analysis suggest that Sweetheart fruit can be stored under cold conditions, 1°C, 95% humidity, for up to 21 days without significant loss of quality.
Controlled atmosphere maintained tissue turgidity during storage; however, this was not noticed by the panelists, who consistently classified fruits stored under CA conditions with lower overall ratings than fruits under cold conditions with or without film bags.
Publication
Authors
A.C. Agulheiro Santos, V. Palma, A.E. Rato, G. Machado, M. Lozano, D. González- Gómez
Keywords
sweet cherry, fruit quality, cold storage, controlled atmosphere, sensory evaluation
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