Effects of High Carbon Dioxide with Short Term Treatment on Quality of Strawberry Fruits

Abstract

Influence of treatment temperature, cultivars and harvest maturity on keeping the firmness of strawberries by high carbon dioxide with short term treatment was determined. (1) `Hokowase' fruits obtained from a wholesale market or harvested at three stages (30, 70 and 100% colored) were treated with high carbon dioxide mixing gas (CO2: O2: N2 = 20: 10: 70) for 24 h under 1 or 20°C and stored at 1 or 20°C. The firmness of fruits treated at every stage was harder than that of untreated ones stored at each temperature. The carbon dioxide treatment was more effective in 30% colored fruits. (2) In treated ‘Hoko-wase’ fruits, color development was delayed, showing lower content of anthocyanin especially at 30% colored stage. There was no difference between treated fruits and untreated ones of every stages in the contents of total sugar and ascorbic acid. In treated fruits, the content of water soluble pectin (WSP) decreased and that of hexametaphosphate soluble pectin (HMP) increased after carbon dioxide treatment. The mold growth on strawberry fruits was delayed by the treatment. (3) ‘Tioga’ fruits harvested at mature (100% colored) stages were treated with high carbon dioxide mixing gas for 24 h under 20°C, and stored at the same temperature. The firmness of treated fruits was not harder than ‘Hokowase’. © 1995, Japanese Society for Food Science and Technology. All rights reserved.