storage life of the fruit (period during which it could be removed 
from 31° F. and ripened with excellent texture and flavor). Anjou 
pears packed in the standard manner usually fail to ripen with the 
desired juicy, luscious texture after approximately 175 to 185 days of 
cold storage (March 15). In 1950 and 1952 (table 7), it was possible 
to obtain such a dessert quality in film-packed fruit after 214 to 216 
days of cold storage (about May 1). In some commercial tr lals, even 
this period was lengthened. Fruit in a standard pack after such a 
long storage period has considerable scald, shrivel, and yellowish- 
green color at 31° F. and generally develops a mealy texture and core 
breakdown without attaining prime dessert quality. The use of 
sealed films increased the storage life of Anjou pears approximately 6 
to 8 weeks. 
Although it is strongly recommended that all sealed films be opened 
before placing the fruit at ripening temperature, the data in table 7 
show that there is a margin of safety of several days for all of the 
sealed films except Phofilm 80 and 100 HP. In these films, varietal 
flavor was definitely inferior when the fruit was ripened in sealed film 
for + days. 
In most instances where direct comparison is possible in table 7. 
the shelf lite of the ripened film-packed pears was several days 
longer than that of comparable fruit in the standard pack. This 
is evidence of the residual effect sealed films have on the metabolism 
of the fruit. | 
COMICE PEARS 
Ripening Capacity and Dessert Quality 
Comice pears have a shorter storage life than the Anjou variety; 
the former usually ripen with an inferior dessert quality after the 
middle of January. Tests of the packing of Comice pears in sealed 
film were limited to Phofilm 80 FM1 and polyethylene 100 and 150. 
Comice pears in sealed films of Pliofilm 80 FM1 and in polyethylene 
150 were much greener in color and more turgid than comparable fruit 
in the standard pack when removed from 31° F. on March 19, 1952. 
Fruit stored without film protection failed to ripen normally, remained 
hard, scalded badly, and developed 100 percent core breakdown in 8 
days at 65°. Comparable lots in both of the above sealed films, when 
opened immediately upon removal from 31°, ripened normally in 8 
days. Such fruit was juicy, free from scald, and of good dessert 
quality; it maintained an acceptable flavor for 3 additional days at 
65°. It was not possible, however, to hold Comice pears at 65° 1 
these sealed films for 4 days in March without destruction of flavor 
and the appearance of core breakdown. 
In 1953, Comice pears in the conventional pack and in sealed poly- 
ethylene 100 film were removed from 31° F. on January 6 (106 days) 
and on March 10 (160 days) and ripened at 65°. Only a few fruits 
in the standard oe ripened satisfactorily at the first withdrawal: 
Oss packaged in the sealed film, opened either immediately or after 
2 and 4 days at 65°, developed excellent texture and flavor in 6 days. 
They were of excellent dessert quality for 5 additional days. 
At the second withdrawal (160 days), fruit in the standard pack 
showed some scald and ne shrivel upon removal from 31° 
16 
