ABSTRACT
Strawberry is a product appreciated by consumers due to the organoleptic characteristics. However, strawberry fruits are highly perishable after harvest, so alternative measures to prolong the shelf life of fruits are necessary. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the fruit postharvest conservation of strawberry cultivars under different storage conditions. Strawberry fruits of eight cultivars (Festival, Campinas, Toyonoka, Dover, Oso Grande, Camarosa, Diamante and Aromas) were grown at "Mape Frutas" farm, in Datas municipality, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Strawberry fruits were stored at cold storage (2.34±0.78°C; 89.93±4.14% RH) and environmental conditions (17.43±2.68°C; 74.11±10.44%). The experimental design was randomized blocks in a factorial arrangement with eight strawberry cultivars and five storage times, with three replications. Fruits appearance, disease incidence, total soluble solids, titratable acidity, vitamin C and firmness were evaluated every 3 days, until 12 days. At room condition, strawberry fruit could be stored for only three days. Fruits kept in cold chamber kept quality until 12 days. Cv. Festival had the best postharvest shelf life in both storage conditions and cvs. Toyonoka and Campinas showed higher incidence of diseases and less fruit firmness when compared to the other cultivars.
Keywords:
Fragaria x ananassa; refrigeration; cold chamber; physicochemical quality.
