Studies on the long-term storage of mature, green tomato fruit

SummaryGreenhouse-grown mature-green tomato fruit (Lycopersicon esculentum cv. Caruso) were stored under air or modified atmospheres (MA-3% 02 plus 2% C02) at 6 and 12°C followed by ripening for seven days at 22°C. Treatments with aqueous solutions of calcium, EDTA, EGTA, BHT, a-tocopherol and paclobutrazol were applied as dips to assess their ability to prevent chilling injury (Cl) or retard senescence. Chemical treatments were not beneficial to the quality attributes of the fruit relative to the control, and MA storage did not alleviate Cl symptoms relative to the air stored samples. Greenhouse-grown fruit could be stored for at least 30 days in the mature-green state at 12°C under MA with no detectable changes in quality, but samples kept at 6°C showed marked deterioration after 15 days of storage under both air and MA. Samples stored at 12°C under an air atmosphere for 30 days ripened completely. Field-grown mature green tomato fruit (Lycopersicon esculentum cv. Heinz 91-29) stored at 12°C under MA could only be stored between 10 and 30 days due to heavy fungal infection.