INFLUENCE OF MATURITY STAGES AND STORAGE- CONDITIONS ON THE CONSERVATION OF ACEROLA (MALPIGHIA-GLABRA L)

This work aimed to evaluate the changes of physical and chemical chara cteristics occurred in acerolas in the green, half-ripe and ripe stage , during the storage at room temperature (23 to 27-degrees-C), refrige ration (temperature at 5,5 to 8,0-degrees-C and relative humidity at 5 0 - 60%) and freezing (temperature at -19 to -21-degrees-C). Ripe acer olas at room temperature deteriorated after four and fine days while g reen and half-ripe deteriorated after six and seven days. Refrigeratio n extended fruit life of the three maturity stages until 20 days. Weig ht loss was greater on the third day of storage, mainly in ripe and ha lf-ripe acerolas at room temperature. There was no change in the acidi ty of fruits during refrigeration, but total soluble solids (TSS) cont ent increased and L-ascorbic acid decreased after 20 days of storage. Frozen acerolas did not present change in the acidity, TSS and L-ascor bic acid after 40 days of storage, maintaining good conditions for pro cessing.