Quality Changes in Chili Plums (Spondias pupurea L.) During Storage

Chili plums (Spondias purpurea L.) harvested and classified as immature (MI), mature green (M2) and slightly turning or breaker (M3) were stored at 4-5°C, 9-1O°C,20-21°C and 30-31°C and evaluated for changes in total soluble solids (TSS), total titratable acidity (TTA), pH, sugar-acid-ratio 􀀀(􀀀T􀀀S􀀀S􀀀m􀀀~􀀀A ratio), total sugars, reducing sugars, vitamin C, marketable fruits and decay over 15 days. Sensory evaluation was also done on stored samples. In addition fruits stored for 15 days at 4-5°C and 9-10°C were transferred to 20-21°C for 1 day to assess the development of chilling injury symptoms. Decay due to a fmit rot fungi of the Phoma spp terminated the shelf-life of fruit at all three stages of maturity after 8 days at 20-21°C. However, at 30-31 °C shelf-life was only six days. M2 and M3 fruit at 20-21°C and 30-31°C had lower TTA and higher 1'SS, pH, vitamin C, sugar-acidratios and total and reducing sugar contents compared to fruit stored at4-5°C and 9-lOoC. Pitting and shrivelling among Ml fruit rated as moderate and slight after 1 day at 4-5°C and 9-lOoC respectively, accelerated to very severe after 7 days. M2 fruit at 4-5°C which appeared marketable during continuous storage for t 5 days showed visible symptoms of severe chilling injury upon transfer to the warmer temperature while similar fruit stored at 9-lOoC did not. M3 fruit at 4-5°C showed no chilling symptoms but were unmarketable after t I days due to rapid softening. It was concluded that chili plums harvested at the M2 stage of maturity maintained the best quality when stored at 9-10°C in view of the absence of decay, severe chilling injury and shrivelling as well as the highly acceptable sensory evaluation scores after 15 days of storage.