Modified atmosphere storage of cv. Camarosa and cv. Verão strawberries - DOI: 10.4025/actasciagron.v32i2.3702

Abstract

Modified atmosphere storage is one of the possibilities to prolong the postharvest shelf life of strawberries. In the present work, four combinations of O₂ and CO₂ concentrations (3 kPa O₂ + 10 kPa CO₂; 5 kPa O₂ + 15 kPa CO₂; 21 kPa O₂ + 15 kPa CO₂; and ambient air) were evaluated along various storage periods. Cv. Camarosa and cv. Verão strawberries (Fragaria x ananassa Duch) were harvested from commercial groves and placed in trays and stored in low density polyethylene bags of 0.21 and 0.14 to 0.15 mL cm^-2 hour^-1 permeability to O₂ and CO₂, respectively. Modified atmospheres starting from known concentrations of O₂ and CO₂ or only ambient air maintain the quality of cv. Camarosa strawberries for up to 6 days at 1°C. Cv. Verão berries did not benefit from modified atmospheres at 4°C. Total soluble solids, titratable acidity, as well as ascorbic acid contents and resistance to berry deformation were not influenced by the different atmospheres. Cv. Verão, however, lost significantly more flesh firmness and had reduced titratable acidity contents along the storage periods.