IMPROVING THE KEEPING QUALITY OF POMEGRANATE FRUIT BY INTERMITTENT WARMING

Mollar pomegranates (Punica granatum, Punicaceae) were stored at 0 deg rees C or 5 degrees C and 95% relative humidity (RH) for 80 days. Inte rmittent warming (IW) cycles of 1 day at 20 degrees C every 6 days, du ring which time the fruit had been stored at 0 degrees C or 5 degrees C, followed by a shelf-life period of 7 days at 15 degrees C and 70% R H were applied. IW during storage at 0 degrees C was the best treatmen t for maintaining the red skin colour as at harvest. However the red c olour of the arils (hue angle) was kept better under warming at 5 degr ees C. Although significant changes in the individual anthocyanins wer e observed in all treatments, particularly after the shelf-life period , the total anthocyanin content of the juice at harvest was maintained . While storage at 0 degrees C avoided decay although increased the ri sk of chilling injuries such us pitting and husk scald, 5 degrees C-st orage reduced these injuries but fungal attacks were not inhibited. Af ter the shelf-life period, IW alleviated chilling injuries without any incidence of decay. Warming treatments gave very good results with re spect to storage and the keeping quality of pomegranates, particularly when applied during storage at 0 degrees C.