Studies on the prolongation of marketing life of fresh fruits and vegetables. I.
Open Access
- 1 January 1965
- journal article
- Published by Japanese Society for Horticultural Science in Engei gakkai zasshi (Journal of the Japanese Society for Horticultural Science)
- Vol. 34 (4) , 334-342
- https://doi.org/10.2503/jjshs.34.334
Abstract
Deterioration of cucumbers (varieties, Aohushinari No. 2 and Tokiwa No. 2) held at various temperatures was investigated by the external and microscopic observation and chemical analysis. The results obtained are as follows.1. Cucumbers held at 11°-13°C kept the best quality of those held at various temperatures. The total storage life of fruits held at 3°-5°C was the shortest, because they were suffered the chilling injury during the exposure at those temperatures for a certain period. Cucumbers overwrapped with polyethylene film (0.03mm in thickness) and held at 11°-13°C had maximum satisfactory storage life. The fruits on these conditions were edible for more than 40 days and had the longest duration time of marketability which was the most important factor when fresh fruits and vegetables were preserved. If fruits were removed to chilling temperature after being held at 11°-13°C for several days, the total storage life of them was made slightly longer than those held at 3°-5°C continuously from the first day of the storage.Pitting is one of the characters of the chilling injuries of cucumber and severe surface pittings were reported by EAKS, but merely small surface breakdowns were observed in this experiment.2. It seems that the chilling injury of cucumbers will advance according to the following conditions. When cucumbers are held at 3°-5°C for about 10 days, in the first place the amount of organic acids in cucumber decreases and pH value increases and then the tissue of fruits breaks down. This change in organization of cucumbers begins from the cell under the skin of fruits and gradually internal breakdown developes. The first indication of external deterioration of cucumbers is the appearance of small droplets of muddy exudation on the surface of fruits, after that some molds occur on their surface and they fall into decay at last.This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: