INFLUENCE OF DIFFERENT OXYGEN AND CARBON-DIOXIDE CONCENTRATIONS DURING STORAGE ON PRODUCTION OF VOLATILE COMPOUNDS BY STARKING DELICIOUS APPLES

Starking Delicious apples were cold-stored in semicommercial chambers in normal atmosphere and in different controlled atmospheres in which oxygen and carbon dioxide were held at 1%, 2%, and 3% for 3, 5, and 7 months. After storage, fruit was kept at ambient temperature (20 degre es C) for 1, 5, and 10 days. The volatile emission was collected and a nalyzed. After all storage periods and conditions, the total aromatic volatile emission was higher than at commercial harvest. The highest e mission of volatile components was obtained after 5 months of storage, in which controlled-atmosphere conditions gave a lower concentration than normal cold storage. Eaters were the main volatiles detected (> 9 8%). Acetate ester concentrations after all storage periods assayed we re higher at 3% and 2% O-2/CO2. The components that contributed most t o the characteristic aroma of Starking Delicious were ethyl 2-methylbu tyrate, ethyl butyrate, and ethyl hexanoate. Their concentrations were higher after 5 months of storage and also during poststorage at ambie nt temperature (20 degrees C).