Abstract

GARCIA M, Auris Damely. Physical and chemical characterization of peach (Prunus persica (L.) Batsch) and effectiveness of  commercial refrigeration in preconditioned fruits. Bioagro [online]. 2006, vol.18, n.2, pp.115-121. ISSN 1316-3361.

Growers and consumers in Venezuela have high interest in the peach Amarillo due to its pleasant sweet and sour flavor, nutritional contribution, and yield in pulp, being the commercial value attributed to these characteristics along with the time of useful life. The objective of this work was to characterize the physical-chemical quality, establish commercial categories, and evaluate the importance of commercial refrigeration of fruits that were preconditioned to keep quality and lengthen the fruit useful life. The fruits, coming from the producing areas of the Colonia Tovar, Aragua State, Venezuela, received a preconditioning based on combined applications of vinegar vapor and immersion in calcium chloride solution, in conjunction with packing in perforated plastic bags. The bags were stored under ambient conditions (28 ± 2 ºC y 70 ± 1% RH) and commercial refrigeration (13 ± 1 ºC y 90 ± 2% RH). As a result, five fruit quality categories were established according to the fruit weight, which varied from 59.7 to 132.0 g. Total soluble solids averaging 18.2 ºBrix, acidity of 0.44 % as citric acid, and firmness of 13.7 kgf·mm^-1 were the most important quality variables. It was established that after fruit preconditioning, the commercial refrigeration lengthened the fruit useful life up to 9 days, as opposed to ambient storage where fruits lasted only 6 days. It is concluded that commercial refrigeration applied to preconditioned peaches looks like a useful management to increase profitability and availability of fruits in markets.

Keywords : Postharvest quality; storage; commercialization.