freezing injury of fruits and vegetables 23 



Spinach 



experimental observations 



Spinach in a bushel basket was held in a 24° F. room for 96 

 hours. The basket was papered over the sides and bottom. On 

 removal from the freezing room the mass of spinach was cut 

 through vertically from side to side of the basket. Freezing was 

 found to extend inward about 1% inches from the top and 3*4 

 inches from the sides. One-half of the lot was left in the basket 

 and this and the portion that had been removed were held in a 40° 

 room for 4 days. At that time the only injury found was in the 

 topmost leaves, which were bruised and water-soaked where they 

 had been in contact with the lid. The basket was then repacked 

 and returned to 24° for a second freezing. It was removed after 2 

 days and thawed at 60°. No injury was found except in the upper- 

 most leaves that were against the lid and had been bruised in 

 handling. After 5 days at 60° spinach that had frozen at 24° 

 developed slimy soft rot in the uppermost injured leaves. 



MARKET OBSERVATIONS 



The frozen leaves of spinach are easily bruised during unloading 

 and handling. This bruising gives a water-soaked, collapsed ap- 

 pearance to plants in the tops of baskets. Plants that protrude 

 under the lid are particularly likely to be injured. 



Squashes 



Acorn squashes in a % -bushel hamper were kept in a 24° F. 

 room for 6 days. The sides and bottom of the hamper were pa- 

 pered, and paper was also laid loosely over the top. ^ Thirty-six 

 hours after removal from the freezing room (12 hours in 32° after 

 standing in a handling room for 24 hours at about 60°), the 

 squashes from the top of the hamper were soft and water-soaked 

 and had a granular appearance in the flesh and a fermented smell. 

 Soft ones were found all the way down to the bottom of the ham- 

 per, but two that apparently had not frozen were noted. Many of 

 the injured squashes showed small white spots on the outside, pro- 

 duced by localized blistering of the skin. After thawing, all 

 squashes from this hamper were darker externally than unfrozen 

 ones saved for comparison. 



Two unprotected Blue Hubbard squashes were held in a 24° F. 

 room for 6 days. On removal from the freezing room these 

 squashes showed small lens- or disc-shaped masses of ice through- 

 out the flesh but the flesh was not discolored. On thawing at 60° 

 for 24 hours the flesh contained many small crescent-shaped 

 cracks. There was no discoloration, no water-soaked condition, 

 and no off-odor. 



The most common indications of freezing injury of Hubbard 

 squashes seen on the market are drying of the flesh after thawing 

 and a tendency to develop decay spots in the shell. 



Summer squashes (Yellow Crookneck) were kept in a bushel 

 basket in a 24° F. room for 24 hours. It was papered over the 



