40 



BULLETIN 1406, TJ. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



Fig. i..j. — Relation of time 01 110,;.^ ,., i 



softening of Virginia-grown Winesap apples 

 while in storage at 40°, 50°, and 70° F., 

 1924-25 



A certain amount of yellowing occurred between the time 

 the fruit was picked and the time it was in prime eating con- 

 dition, regardless of the temperature at which it was held." This 

 yellowing occurred to only a slight extent at temperatures of 30° or 

 32° F. Fruit going into storage with a color corresponding to Xo. 2 

 in Plate I usually came out of storage when in prime eating condition 



if held continuously at 30° 

 to 32°, with a ground color 

 not more yellow than No. 3 

 and usually between Nos. 2 

 and 3. 



At 36° to 40° F. fruit 

 usually became considerably 

 more yellow during the time 

 required for it to soften 

 than if held at 30° or 32°, 

 but even at this higher tem- 

 perature it was generally 

 distinctly tinged with green 

 when soft enough for eating. 

 In apples held at 50° or higher the green color almost entirely disap- 

 peared by the time the fruit was full soft unless it was very green when 

 placed in storage. Although the time required for the fruit to soften 

 at the higher temperatures is much shorter than at the lower ones, the 

 green color seems to disappear at even a faster rate proportionately 

 than at the lower temperatures. 



The fullest yellowing will therefore usually occur in fruit held 

 at moderately high temperatures. Fruit held in common or 

 air-cooled storages where 

 the temperatures are gen- 

 erally high during the 

 first few weeks usually 

 comes out of storage much 

 yellower than that held 

 for even a much longer 

 period at temperatures of 

 30° to 32°. 



CHANGES IN CHEMICAL 

 COMPOSITION OF 

 APPLES STORED AT 

 DIFFERENT TEMPERA- 

 TURES 



/& 2>3 



& /S 2>3 



7 /r 



Fig. 26. — Relation of time of picking to rate of 

 softening of Washington-grown Stavman Wine- 

 sap apples while in storage at 70° F., 1924 



In order to determine 

 whether or not there is 

 any appreciable effect of 

 the temperature at which 

 apples are held during the ripening process on the chemical 

 composition of the ripened fruit, samples of a number of varie- 

 ties were analyzed for sugars' and titratable aciditv at the 

 close of the storage period for each temperature. Instead of 

 holding the fruit for a definite length of time at the different 

 temperatures studied, it was left at these temperatures until in 



