Effect of using low-pressure storage (LPS)‎ on rabbiteye blueberry .premier. fruits

Abstract EN

This investigation was initiated to establish the best conditions for maintaining the quality of rabbiteye blueberries using lowpressure storage (LPS) technique.

Low-pressure storage experiment was conducted in a growth chamber at 4ºC using 22-quarter pressure cookers as low-pressure chambers.

The desired pressures were maintained by continuously evacuating humidified air using a Belt-drive vacuum pump.

The treatments were 1.0, 0.6, 0.3, and atmospheric pressure and the control fruits were held on adjacent shelves in the same chamber under normal atmospheric pressure.

The results revealed that berries stored at 1.0 atmospheric pressure lost less weight, were firm, developed less decay, and did not show any shriveling with the storage time (28 days).

Juice pH increased with the storage time, but was lowest at LPS treatments.

Soluble solid concentrations (SSC) increased with the storage time, but were lowest at 1.0 atmospheric pressure.

Titratable acidity (TA) was highest when fruits were stored at 0.3 atmospheric pressure due to a high moisture loss.

The ratio of SSC/TA varied with the storage time when the fruits were stored at 1.0 and 0.3 atmospheric pressure and tended to increase with storage time at 0.6 and the control treatments.