Effects of postharvest treatment on the sensory qualities of kiwifruit harvested at different maturities

Abstract The effects of various postharvest treatments on the sensory qualities of eating‐ripe kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa var deliciosa (A Chev) Liang et Ferguson cv Hayward) were compared. When fruit from early harvests (5.3, 6.4% w/v soluble solids (SS) at harvest) were treated with ethylene immediately after harvest, eating‐ripe fruit were more juicy and generally had fewer off‐odours than fruit not ripened by ethylene. A short period (4‐6 weeks) of storage at 0° C was beneficial to fruit quality, particularly when applied to fruit from early harvests. Flavour intensity was enhanced, and off‐flavours, greenness and acidity were decreased. There was variation in fruit quality between orchards. The poorest quality fruit were those from one orchard after storage at 4° C for 4 weeks or at 0° C for 12 weeks prior to ripening. The fruit stored at 4° C was notable for its lack of sweetness and high incidence of earthy off‐flavours. Fruit from both these treatments also had a higher incidence of caramel/burnt sugar flavours than fruit from other treatments. There was no relationship between perceived sweetness and fruit sugar content, SS or sugar/acid ratios, and only a minimal relationship between perceived acidity/tang/sourness and concentrations of each acid. Some suggestions are offered to explain these findings.