Postharvest quality of araza fruit during low temperature storage

Araza (Eugenia stipitata Mc Vaugh) fruits at breaker stage of maturity were stored at 7,10,12, or 20 degrees C and 85-90% RH for 2 weeks, with or without an additional simulated shelf-life period (3 days at 20 degrees C and 70% RH). Some half-yellow (turning) araza fruit were also stored at 7 or 12 degrees C. Respiration rate, ethylene production, quality traits and physiological disorders and decay were monitored. Araza fruit of both stages of maturity showed a climacteric pattern of ripening, with the maximum levels of respiration being reached after 5 days at 20 degrees C for breaker fruit, while half-yellow fruit ripened totally after one day. Weight loss was the most limiting quality trait for araza fruit. Chilling injury symptoms included skin scald (only at 7 degrees C), uneven ripening (at 7 or 10 degrees C, including uneven softening during storage, particularly in breaker fruit), and slight acidification at 7 degrees C. Decay in the post-storage shelf-life periods (mainly Gloesporium sp.) was particularly high after storage at 7 degrees C in breaker fruit. The storage of breaker araza fruit at 12 degrees C is recommended because this prevents chilling injury and flesh acidification, and allows normal fruit ripening during a post-storage shelf-life at 20 degrees C, as revealed by the lower organic acids (mainly malic) content and increased sugar (glucose, fructose and sucrose) content. (C) 2008 Swiss Society of Food Science and Technology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.