THE INFLUENCE OF THE STORAGE CONDITIONS ON SOME QUALITY PARAMETERS OF JONAGOLD APPLES

These fruits were divided into 4 similar samples (± 200 fruits/sample) and they were stored at 0.5°C, ± 95 % R.H. and respectively:

• 21 % O₂ and 0,03 % CO₂ (normal atmosphere),
• 17 % O₂ and 4 % CO₂,
• 1 % O₂ and 1 % CO₂,
• 0.7 % O₂ and 0.7 % CO₂ with continuous flow of N₂ (one free air volume exchange every 4 days).

During a storage period of 9 months flesh firmness, skin colour, titratable acidity and alcohol flavour were measured at monthly intervals. The results of this analysis shows that:

• the lower the oxygen concentration, the slower the decrease of flesh firmness,
• the lower the oxygen concentration, the slower the decrease of titratable acidity,
• the lower the oxygen concentration, the slower skin colour turns yellow.

At 0.7 % O₂ the fruits did not have any alcohol flavour and there was no appearance of any physiological disorder. This could be important in connection with scald control, because in some years, Jonagold seems to be very susceptible to superficial scald.

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