FREEZING INJURY OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES 15 



were frozen. After 96 hours all ears in the upper part of the 

 basket were frozen hard but those at the center were not. After 

 120 hours, when the basket was removed from the freezing room, 

 all ears were found frozen. After 24 hours at 45° the corn had a 

 slightly sour smell, the husks and cob were water-soaked, and the 

 grains were watery and much softened. 



Cucumbers 



Cucumbers in a half-bushel basket, papered over the sides and 

 bottom, were held in a 24° F. room for 7 hours. On their removal 

 from the freezing room no injury was observed, and there was 

 none after the cucumbers had been held at 60° for 24 hours. 



Other cucumbers were held in a bushel basket in an 18° F. room 

 for 48 hours. The basket was papered around the sides and was 

 covered with a regular basket lid. During the first 5 hours no 

 signs of freezing could be detected, but after 6 hours several 

 cucumbers around the edge of the lid showed numerous circular, 

 water-soaked spots on the surface, mostly about one-sixteenth to 

 one-eighth inch in diameter. A few water-soaked areas one-half 

 inch in diameter were seen. After 24 hours all the top-layer cu- 

 cumbers were frozen hard. After 26 hours cucumbers halfway 

 down in the basket, both at the sides and in the center, were not 

 frozen. On removal from the freezing room all the cucumbers 

 showed freezing but some at the center were not entirely frozen. 

 After 48 hours at 45° the cucumbers that had frozen were soft, 

 water-soaked throughout, and much wrinkled lengthwise, espe- 

 cially toward the stem end. 



Frozen cucumbers seen on the market are completely water- 

 soaked and flabby and are soon invaded by bacteria or fungi. 



Eggplant 



Eggplant was held in an unpapered bushel basket in a 24° F. 

 room for 78 hours. On removal from the freezing room some were 

 frozen solid and others only on the outside to a depth of one- 

 quarter to one-half inch. After 6 days at 60° none showed any 

 sign of injury. After being held 2 more days at 18° they were 

 found frozen solid. On thawing they were slightly browned inside, 

 soft, very leaky, and worthless. 



On the market, browning of the flesh and slight shriveling are 

 recognized as signs of moderate freezing. 



Lemons 



Lemons were held in a standard crate in an 18° F. room for 75 

 hours. The crate was not papered, but the lemons in one end were 

 individually wrapped and those in the other were not wrapped. 

 (For rate of cooling of these two lots see figure 2.) After 75 hours 

 at 18° some fruits in both ends of the crate, at or near the center 

 position, were not frozen. After 20 hours at 45° many of the 

 fruits in both ends of the box were found to be soft, watery, and 

 worthless. The percentage of such injured fruits was greatest in 



