Fruit Maturity, Ripening and Quality Maturity at harvest very important to determine final fruit quality and storage life With few exceptions, fruits reach best eating quality when allowed to ripen on the tree Most currently used maturity indices are a compromise between those indices that ensure best eating quality and those that provide needed flexibility in marketing. Postharvest Paradox Quality is maximized when the product is harvested more mature or ripe, whereas shelf- and storage life are extended if the product is harvested less mature or unripe.. Adel Kader UC Davis Toivonen, P. 7. Fruit maturation and ripening and their relationship to quality. Stewart Postharvest Review :7. Harvest Maturity for Fruits: A balancing Act Too often we err on the side of shelf-life at the expense of good eating quality Stone fruit Avocado Is maturity a problem? Solution is educational Solution is technological Melons Too soft Overripe Poor flavor Shrivel Never ripens No repeat buys Decay Poor shelf-life Bananas Tomato Pears Kiwifruit Citrus Mango Harvest Maturity and Fruit Quality Marita Cantwell Dept. Plant Sciences, UC Davis micantwell@ucdavis.edu Fruit Ripening and Ethylene Management Workshop Feb -, California orange Nov 9, 7 UA flight Relationship between sugar/acid ratio and sensory panelist s Response to the question about Willingness to Buy navel oranges Sampling week Nov -8 Nov 8-Dec Dec - % samples below sugar/acid Ratio of 8.* 9 7 *from California A grade standard Source: Ivans and Feree, 987 Number of responses YES NO 8 7 7
Importance of Maturity Indices Sensory and Nutritional Quality Use Fresh market or Processed Adequate shelf-life Facilitate marketing standards Productivity Maturity Indices Requirements for establishing Simple, easy to carry out Objective vs subjective indicators Related to quality Related to storage life Represents a progressive change with maturity Permits prediction of maturity from year to year Inexpensive Maturity and Ripeness Stages of Cherries California strawberries and cherries at NTUC Distribution Center Singapore, May, 8 Strawberries from Oxnard; Cherries from Lodi Composition of Ripe Strawberry Harvested at different stages. Held at 7 F ( C) to complete color change. Maturity % color % color 7% color % color % SS.8..98.8 % Acid.8.79.8.9 Ratio..77 7. 9.8 Composition of Ripe Grape Tomato Harvested at Stages of Maturity Initial Maturity Stage LSD. Weight fruit, g.9.7.9. Red color, hue.8. 7.7 ns Firmness, N force...7. Soluble solids, %.9.7 7..8 Sugars mg/ml Minimum harvest stage should be Stage (pink-orange) 7 Titratable acidity, %.9.8.7.9 Vitamin C mg/ml 9 97 99 ns Average 7 cvs, Cantwell,
Initiation Initiation Development Growth Death Death Maturation Physiological Maturity Developmental Continuum Ripening Senescence Evolution of some physical, chemical and physiological parameters during fruit development and ripening on the tree of Golden Globe Plum. Watada et al., 98 Diaz-Mula et al., 8. J. Sci. Food Agric 88:99-7 Fruit weight, kg Development & Ripening of Honeydew Melons Harvested at Different Stages.... Soluble solids, % 8 Fruit weight Soluble solids Firmness Respiration Ethylene Data from Pratt, 977; redrawn from Seymour & McGlasson99 Days from anthesis Physiology after harvest Ripeness Class 8 Firmness, kg cm Respiration, mg CO kg-h - Internal ethylene, µl L -. Honeydew Melons Fruit Characteristics at Stages of Ripeness Stage Ripeness Internal C H ppm.... cv. Morning Ice = typical commercial maturity * Maximum rupture force with 8 mm probe Soluble Solids % 9..8.. Characterize new varieties/maturity Firmness* Newtons 8 8 Firmness* Pounds 9. 8. 8..7 Cantwell, UC Davis Honeydew and Orange Flesh Melons Maturity and Ripeness Classes Class : Immature Class : Mature, but Unripe Ground color greenish-white; peel fuzzy; no aroma; % soluble solids; flesh crisp, melon splits when cut; minimum commercial harvest maturity Class : Mature, Ripening Ground color white; begins to develop surface wax; pulp crisp, melon splits Minimum for Good Eating Mr Tay, Hupco Ltd., Importer, Singapore, May8
Papaya (Exotica), slow ripening cultivar PH treatment with Ethrel days after treatment, Differences in maturity accentuated Group * Non climacteric Fruits Fruits that are not capable of continuing ripening process (physiological changes) once removed from the plant. Blackberry Cherry Grape Loquat Litchi Mandarin Pomegranate Prickly Pear Rambutan Grapefruit Lemon Lime Muskmelons Orange Pepper (Bell) Raspberry Strawberry Tamarillo May, 8 From YK Chan MAFC, MY Longan Pineapple *No increase in sugar content; Changes in firmness, external color, and aroma may occur Watermelon Group * Climacteric Fruits Fruits that can be harvested and ripened off the plant. Apple Apricot Avocado Banana Cherimoya Guava Kiwifruit Mango Mangosteen Nectarine Papaya Passion fruit Peach Pear Pepper (chili) Persimmon Plum Quince Sapodilla (chico) Sapotes Tomato *Except for avocado, banana, mango and pear, these fruits attain best flavor if ripened on the plant; Many of these fruits have large increases in sugar during ripening. has significant amount of starch Indicators of Harvest Maturity APPLES Days from full bloom Time/temp (heat units) from anthesis Days from harvest to onset of ethylene production Ground color Soluble solids content (SSC) Flesh firmness and SSC Starch disappearance pattern Internal ethylene concentration Changes in firmness or starch content Streif index (Firmness/SS*Starch score) Golden Delicious at Retail Market: How is the maturity in this box? Maturity and ripeness stages of Manila mango Mango Maturity Indices Fullness of shoulders External color dark to lighter green Internal color-white to yellow Lenticles and hairs on pit Starch content; specific gravity
Color Index Color of Fruit Pale yellow green Blotchy pink Pinkish red Maroon Red Mangosteen and eating Quality maturity issues Maturity and Fruit Quality Know the consequences of harvesting at different stages of maturity/ripeness on final eating quality. Make sure workers involved in harvest and selection are well trained to ID correct maturity/ripeness. As consumers, take back fruit with poor eating quality Dark maroon violet Violet black