The effects of storage temperature and fruit size on firmness, extractable juice, woolliness and browning in two nectarine cultivars

Fruit firmness, extractable juice, woolliness and browning of the mesocarp tissue in ‘Independence’ and ‘Flavortop’ nectarines stored at —0.5°, 3°, 5° and 7°C for four weeks were determined during ripening at 15°C. The firmness of both ‘Independence’ and ‘Flavortop’ during ripening decreased as storage temperatures increased. The percentage extractable juice after cold storage and during ripening varied considerably between cultivars and between the storage temperatures. The extractable juice of fruit stored at higher temperatures tended to increase during ripening, whereas fruit stored at lower temperatures tended to decrease first before increasing. At storage temperatures of —0.5° and 3°C both cultivars passed through a stage of woolliness during ripening, while less woolliness occurred after storage at 5° and 7°C. In both cultivars the percentage extractable juice during ripening was higher on average at storage temperatures of 5° and 7°C. Severe browning of mesocarp tissue in both cultivars occurred during ripening after storage at 3°C. The effect of fruit size on changes in firmness, development of woolliness and mesocarp browning in ‘Flavortop’ nectarines stored at — 0.5°C for four weeks and ripened at 15°C was also determined. Larger nectarines lost firmness more rapidly, woolliness occurred sooner and the mesocarp tissue was more prone to browning than smaller fruit during ripening.