Page 8 



BETTER FRUIT 



September, J 921 



Picking for Flavor and Keeping Quality 



By F. W. Allen, Assistant Professor of Pomology, University of California 

 Formerly in Charge of Storage Investigations in the Northwest, Bureau of Markets, 



Department of Agriculture 



WHILE the general topics of how 

 to grow, prune and spray orchard 

 trees are important and by their 

 nature essential as a basis for success, yet 

 these long discussed fundamental problems 

 are gradually giving place to more specific 

 topics or phases of these subjects, which in 

 one way and another have to do not only 

 with increased production, but with plac- 

 ing on the market and into the hands of the 

 consumer a product of increasing high 

 quality. 



The reputation of the Northwest apples 

 is not based upon the large number of cars 

 shipped to the Eastern markets, certainly 

 not upon the closeness, or rather remoteness, 

 of the fruit-producing districts from those 

 markets, but rather upon the superior class 

 or quality of the fruit produced. The ap- 

 ple is a fruit having wide distribution. It 

 can be produced in many sections, some of 

 which have material marketing advantages 

 over the Northwest, and today the question 

 of transportation and marketing is prov- 

 ing to be a problem of very vital import- 

 ance. 



Thus with the competition of other sec- 

 tions which may be able to produce and 

 market apples at less cost, there is only one 

 reason why the Eastern trade demands 

 Western apples. It can be summed up in 

 the word "Qu.ality," and quality implies 

 superiority. 



A superior product has no competition 

 and under any kind of normal conditions 

 will always bring what it is worth. The 

 consumer, however, is becoming more and 

 more critical. The standard of quality to- 

 day is different from what it was yesterday ; 

 and, furthermore, the grower may have a 

 higher opinion of his fruit than does the 

 buyer. This comes about quite often owing 

 to the changes which may take place in the 

 fruit in transit. The grower must antici- 

 pate the appearance and quality of his fruit 

 at the time it is exposed for sale on the 

 distant markets. 



BY "quality" one may first think of size, 

 freedom from blemishes or fine, at- 

 tractive color. These are all attributes of 

 quality, but quality itself is generally 

 thought of in connection with the flavor 

 and texture of the flesh. Thus fruit pur- 

 chased solely on appearance may sometimes 

 prove disappointing. Apples of high desert 

 quality may prove in some cases of poor 

 quality for culinary purposes, while some 

 of the leading varieties for baking should 

 not be selected to eat out of hand. Each 

 variety has more or less of a characteristic 

 flavor which is soon recognized, and it is, 

 of course, not within the grower's power to 

 transform a Ben Davis into the quality of 



a Spitzcnburg. It is, however, within his 

 power to influence the quality of his ap- 

 ples to a certain extent, and the relation 

 between the time of picking and quality is 

 one of the factors now receiving consider- 

 able attention. 



It is assumed that there are very few 

 fruit growers who do not remember at 

 some time in their lives of harvesting and 

 eating a goodly number of apples consider- 

 ably in advance of the normal picking 

 season. Doubtless these were all pronounced 

 of fine flavor at the time, but since one's 

 taste generally changes we now recognize 

 that the real characteristic flavor is not 

 noticeably present early in the spring, but 

 develops later in the season as the apple 

 ripens or passes through certain chemical 

 changes. Chemical analysis shows that the 

 growing apple, aside from being 80 to 85 

 per cent water, contains some 3 to + per 

 cent of starch and from 10 to 20 per cent 

 sugar; also small amounts of malic acid, 

 tannin, cellulose and esters. While all of 

 these constituents bear a certain relation to 

 dessert quality, yet the one which seems of 

 primary importance in connection with 

 flavor and aroma is the small quantity of 

 esters or flavoring oils. While the relative 

 amount of acid present determines whether 

 the apple will be classed as sprightly sub- 

 acid or sweet, yet it is the flavoring oils, 

 concerning which we still know but little, 

 that give the variety its particular taste. 



AS mentioned above, during the growing 

 period the apple has little flavor; the 

 esters are not present, but there is found 

 considerable starch, a quantity of tannin 

 and a relatively high percentage of acid. 

 The apple is sour and starchy. After full 

 size is obtained the fruit gradually enters a 

 second period, or ripening stage, when the 

 tannin and astringent taste disappear, the 

 acid decreases and the starch changes into 

 sugars. It is in the latter part of this 

 period that the flavoring oils are present in 

 greatest quantity and the apple is in prime 

 condition for eating. The length of time 

 which the fruit remains in this stage de- 

 pends both upon the variety and the man- 

 ner in which it has been handled or stored. 

 At best, however, it is a short period, as 

 even cold storage, which checks life pro- 

 cesses, cannot entirely stop them. After 

 reaching full ripeness the fruit passes into 

 a subsequent period of decline and decay. 

 The flesh breaks down, becomes mealy and 

 there is a loss of the sugars and flavoring 

 oils. With the apple a living organism pass- 

 ing through the above changes, at what time 

 should it be harvested for highest quality? 

 We usually speak of picking fruit when 

 it has reached maturity, but maturity in this 



sense is quite different from best eating 

 conditions, or, as we generally say, "ripe." 

 Most fruits, the pear excepted, are re- 

 garded as being of better flavor when al- 

 lowed to ripen on the tree or vines. This 

 practice can be followed with some early 

 apples, where they are grown for local 

 markets. In the case of fall and winter 

 varieties — the leading commercial sorts — 

 it is, of course, impossible to allow the 

 fruit to reach its maximum degree of flavor 

 before harvesting. We do know, however, 

 that certain varieties, the Delicious being 

 a notable example, if picked before reach- 

 ing its normal color, does not have a flavor 

 that at all coincides with the name of the 

 variety. It is certainly safe to say that 

 •picking before the fruit has developed its 

 normal size and color will prove to be at 

 the expense of quality. We cannot allow 

 the fruit to become ripe, but it should be 

 allowed suflicient time to reach its proper 

 stage of maturity. The importance of 

 proper maturity cannot be emphasized too 

 strongly. To try to state dates in this con- 

 nection would be useless. The time of 

 picking is exceedingly variable and can only 

 be ascertained by careful discrimination on 

 the part of the grower. Numerous factors 

 may be taken into consideration to deter- 

 mine when the apple has reached proper 

 maturity for picking. The U. S. Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture believes that the most 

 reliable single indication is the "ground 

 color" of the fruit. This ground color, 

 which is green when the fruit is imma- 

 ture, begins to whiten or yellow slightly as 

 the fruit reaches maturity. With such a 

 variety as the Winesap, where the red over- 

 color most often entirely covers the green 

 ground, this factor would be of little value. 



IN. considering the time of picking for 

 flavor it should always be ketp in mind 

 that the fruit must be well grown. A poorly 

 grown, poorly fed or under-watered tree 

 cannot produce apples of flavor, whether 

 they are picked early or late. The apples 

 must develop properly. If the size is small, 

 let us examine the soil for its supply of 

 water or food elements; if the color is 

 lacking, pruning is needed. Thus ficking 

 for flavor goes hand in hand with growing 

 for flavor. 



It is interesting to note that evidence 

 seems to indicate that a relatively cool at- 

 mosphere is desirable for the development 

 of high flavor. Summer and early fall ap- 

 ples dp not as a rule possess high flavors, and 

 Stewart found that the late fall and winter 

 apples grown so far south that they ripen 

 before cool weather comes on are likely to 

 be lacking in this regard. On the other 

 {^Continued on fage 20) 



