QUALITY CHANGES IN POMEGRANATES DURING RIPENING AND COLD-STORAGE

The changes in the quality parameters of Spanish pomegranate fruit (cu ltivar Mollar) during ripening and during 7 weeks of cold storage at 5 degrees C and 90-95% relative humidity were studied. The fruit and se ed weights, as well as the surface colour increased with ripening. Tot al soluble solids (TSS), pH and titratable acidity (TA) did not show s ignificant differences during the weeks studied (from the 26th to 32nd weeks after flowering), but the seeds' colour (''Lab'' values) and ju ice colour (absorbance at 510 nm) showed an increase during this perio d with a maximum during the last 2 weeks. These results indicate that pomegranates should be harvested during the 31st to the 32nd after flo wering, in order to get the best pigmentation without a decrease in ot her quality parameters. The anthocyanin profile changed during the dif ferent maturity stages, since the diglucoside derivatives were the pre vailing pigments during the early ripening stages, whereas the monoglu coside derivatives were the main pigments in the latter stages. After cold storage of pomegranates harvested at two maturity stages, no diff erences in TSS, pH, TA and skin colour were observed. In addition, see ds' and juice colour did not decrease during storage. Hence, this stud y supports the theory that pomegranate is a nonclimacteric fruit and t hat pomegranates can be stored for at least 45 days without deteriorat ion in the fruit quality.