Aug. 1, 1924 
Freezing Injury of Apples 
121 
Table XIII .—Effect of repeated freezing at temperatures about 21° F. and of re¬ 
peated thawing upon the amount of visual t injury in Rome Beauty apples 
Num¬ 
ber of 
times 
exposed 
Period of each exposure 
j Percentage of visual injury 
None 
Trace 
Severe 
Total 
number 
of apples 
COMPARISON OF SUCCESSIVE INTERMITTENT PERIODS 
1 
72 hours___ 
97. 6 
0 
2.4 
85 
2 
72 hours___ 
88.4 
3.5 
8. 1 
86 
3 
72 hours..__ _ _ 
0 
88.7 
11.3 
71 
1 
96 hours___ 
68.8 
11.8 
19.4 
85 
2 
96 hours_____ 
0 
56.5 
43.5 
85 
3 
96 hours_ 
0 
64.5 
35.5 
93 
COMPARISON OF INTERMITTENT PERIODS WITH CONTINUOUS EXPOSURE OF SAME HOUR TOTAL 
2 
72 hours.. 
88.4 
3.5 
8.1 
86 
1 
144 hours.__ 
0 
70.1 
29.9 
87 
3 
72 hours___ 
0 
88.7 
11.3 
71 
1 
216 hours______ 
0 
12.6 
87.4 
95 
2 
96 hours.... 
0 
56.5 
43.5 
85 
1 
192 hours____ 
0 
18.9 
81.1 
90 
3 
96 hours_____ 
0 
64.5 
35.5 
93 
1 
288 hours__ 
0 
0 
100.0 
93 
CHANGE IN THE FREEZING POINT OF 
APPLES HELD IN COLD STORAGE 
The opinion has been expressed that 
the freezing point of apples held in cold 
storage is higher during the latter part 
of the storage period than at the time 
of placing in storage, and that at the 
end of the season the apples are more 
susceptible to visual freezing injury. 
While this injury in frozen fruit is more 
common as the storage season pro¬ 
gresses, work with two varieties held at 
32° F. throughout the season does not 
confirm the view that the freezing point 
thus rises. After apples are picked and 
toward the end of the storage season 
with the freezing point quite con¬ 
stant throughout. These physiological 
changes are also indicated by the more 
rapid development of mealiness under 
freezing conditions late in the storage 
season. But a progressive and sus¬ 
tained raising of the freezing point is 
not indicated (Table XIV). 
EFFECT OF DIFFERENT THAWING TEM¬ 
PERATURES ON FROZEN APPLES 
Shippers and handlers of apples 
generally believe that frozen apples 
are injured less by gradual thawing, or 
storage at low temperatures, after 
Table XIV .—Freezing points of Rome Beauty and Ben Davis apples held con¬ 
tinuously in a temperature of 32° F . and tested at intervals of about a month 
through the storage season 
Date of test 
Freezing point 
Freezing-room tem¬ 
perature range 
Number of 
apples used 
Average 
Maximum 
Minimum 
Maximum 
Minimum 
ROME BEAUTY FROM VIRGINIA 
Nov. 2. 
Dec. 9__ 
Jan.10. 
Feb. 10_ 
Mar. 13. 
o p 
29.1 
29.3 
29.3 
29.4 
29.1 
o p 
29.8 
29.9 
29.8 
30.1 
29.9 
° F. 
28.4 
28.4 
28.6 
28.5 
28.7 
o p 
21.4 
22.2 
23.4 
22.0 
23. 5 
op 
21.1 
21.8 
23. 2 
21. 7 
23.1 
! 
! 46 
47 
47 
21 
BEN 
DAVIS FROM VIRGINIA 
Nov. 7.... 
29.0 
29.4 
28.7 
22.2 
20.3 
24 
Dec. 18... 
28.8 
29.2 
28. 2 
22.4 
21.9 
45 
Jan. 15_... _ 
29.0 
29. 5 
28.3 
22.2 
21.9 
42 
Feb. 14. 
29.0 
29.5 
28.6 
22.7 
21.8 
34 
Mar 13_ 
29.0 
29. 5 
28.4 
23.5 ! 
23.1 
23 
placed in storage the tissue undergoes 
progressive physiological changes which 
eventually lead to maturity and over¬ 
ripeness, and possibly render the apple 
less resistant to freezing temperatures. 
This may account for the apparent 
. greater visual injury in apples frozen 
freezing, than by rapid thawing at 
high temperatures. While evidence 
on this question is not altogether 
clear, the data in Table X indicate that 
somewhat more severe injury occurred 
in fruit thawed at 65° than in fruit 
thawed at 32°. Very rapid thawing 
