Postharvest Physico-chemical Quality of Strawberry

Abstract

Study on physico-chemical quality of strawberry fruits was done on varieties Dover, Nyoho, Sequoia and Tioga at white-pink, pink and red stages. The results showed that Dover had the highest firmness which was 0.80 kg when compared with Tioga, Nyoho and Sequoia which were 0.67, 0.64 and 0.51 kg respectively. Fruit firmness decreased from white-pink to pink and red stages. Nyoho had the highest level of total soluble solids (11.00ºbrix) and Tioga had the lowest level (5.33ºbrix). Total soluble solids inversely proportion to fruit firmness. Red fruit contained higher level of total soluble solids than the pink and white-pink ones. Nyoho had the highest level of titratable acids (1.15%). On the other hands, Tioga contained the lowest level of titratable acids (0.68%) Sequoia had the highest vitamin C level (42.47 mg/ 100 gm fresh weight) and Tioga contained the lowest level (15.49 mg/ 100 g fresh weight). Consumer preferred red Sequoia to other varieties.

            Skin and flesh colour of all varieties were similar. Skin colour of strawberry fruits changed faster at 25°C than at 4°C. Dover fruit at red stage had the highest water soluble pectin. Nyoho, Sequoia and Tioga at white-pink pink and red stages had similar water soluble pectin content. Ammonium oxalate soluble pectin of Dover fruits was the highest at red stages (4.43 g/ 100 gAIS), pink and white-pink (4.10 and 3.82 g/ 100 gAIS) respectively. Hydrochloric acid soluble pectin of strawberry fruits variety Sequoia at white-pink stage was the highest when compared with strawberry fruits at pink and red stages. All varieties of strawberry fruits had higher reducing sugar than non- reducing sugar. Sequoia and Nyoho strawberries contained higher total sugar and reducing sugar than Dover and Tioga. However there were no significant difference in the level of non-reducing sugar among varieties. Level of anthocyanin increased when harvested fruit at more maturity stage.