Postharvest quality of gherkin under different storage conditions

Abstract

The aim of this research was to evaluate the effect of different harvest times, temperatures and storage periods in maintaining the postharvest quality of gherkin fruits of the cultivar Do Norte. A completely randomized design was used, in a bifactorial scheme: storage temperatures (0, 10, 20 and 30 °C) and storage times (0, 3, 6, 9 and 12 days), with five replications. The evaluations took place in two harvest seasons, at 87 and 107 days after sowing. The fruits were stored at a relative humidity of 90 ± 5% during the whole experimental period. In addition to the days considered, an evaluation was carried out at 16 days, where the fruits were kept for four days at 20 °C simulating the processing and commercialization period. The evaluated variables were pH, titratable acidity, soluble solids, ratio, luminosity, hue angle, reduction of horizontal and vertical diameters and weight loss. Storage at temperatures of 20 and 30 °C contributed to the increase in the reactions of degradation of organoleptic characteristics. Fruits stored at temperatures of 0 and 10 °C, showed less changes in pH and acidity, in addition to less loss of mass in relation to the time of harvest, however, fruits stored at 0 °C showed darkening of the epidermis and the occurrence of disturbances caused by cold. Therefore, the gherkin fruits of the cultivar Do Norte have good storage capacity when kept at a temperature of 10 °C for a period of 12 days regardless of the harvest season.