1

Adel Kader
UC Davis
Fruit Maturity, Ripening and Quality
Maturity at harvest very important to determine
final fruit quality and storage life
With few exceptions, fruits reach best eating
quality when allowed to ripen on the tree
Most currently used maturity indices are a
compromise between those indices that ensure
best eating quality and those that provide
needed flexibility in marketing.
Postharvest Paradox
Quality is maximized when the product is
harvested more mature or ripe, whereas
shelf- and storage life are extended if the
product is harvested less mature or unripe..
Toivonen, P. 2007. Fruit maturation and ripening and their relationship to quality.
Stewart Postharvest Review2:7.
Poor flavor
Never ripens
Poor
shelf-life
Too soft
No repeat buys
Decay
Overripe
Shrivel
Harvest Maturity for Fruits: A balancing Act
Too often we err on the side of shelf-life at the expense of good eating quality
Mango
Citrus
Kiwifruit
Pears
Tomato
Bananas
Melons
Avocado
Stone fruit
Solution is
technological
Solution is
educational
Is maturity a
problem?
Harvest Maturity Harvest Maturity
and and
Fruit Quality Fruit Quality
Marita Cantwell
Dept. Plant Sciences, UC Davis
micantwell@ucdavis.edu
Fruit Ripening and Ethylene Management Workshop
Feb 25-26, 2010
California orange
Nov 19, 2007
UA flight
37 63 13 Dec 12-16
47 53 27 Nov 28-Dec 2
58 42 39 Nov 14-18
NO YES
% samples below
sugar/acid Ratio of 8.1*
Sampling week
Number of responses
Relationship between sugar/acid ratio and
sensory panelists Response to the question
about Willingness to Buy navel oranges
Source: Ivans and Feree, 1987
*from California A grade standard
2
Importance of Maturity Indices
Sensory and Nutritional Quality
UseFresh market or Processed
Adequate shelf-life
Facilitate marketingstandards
Productivity
Maturity Indices
Requirements for establishing
Simple, easy to carry out
Objective vs subjective indicators
Related to quality
Related to storage life
Represents a progressive change with maturity
Permits prediction of maturity from year to year
Inexpensive
Maturity and Ripeness Stages of Cherries
California strawberries and cherries
at NTUC Distribution Center
Singapore, May 16, 2008
Strawberries fromOxnard; Cherries fromLodi
9.28 0.59 5.48 100% color
7.32 0.68 4.98 75% color
5.77 0.79 4.56 50% color
5.35 0.80 4.28 25% color
Ratio % Acid % SS Maturity
Composition of Ripe Strawberry
Harvested at different stages.
Held at 70F (21C) to complete color change.
Composition of
Ripe Grape Tomato
Harvested at 3
Stages of Maturity
ns
37.7
36.3
36.8
Red
color,
hue
1.5
13.7
13.6
11.5
Firmness,
N force
ns 0.09 3 0.8 0.6 LSD.05
0.67
0.68
0.59
Ti tratable
acidity,
%
7.5
6.7
5.9
Soluble
solids,
%
99 33 5.9 5
97 30 5.7 4
96 27 4.9 3
Vitamin C
mg/100mL
Sugars
mg/mL
Weight
frui t,
g
Initial
Maturity
Stage
Average 7 cvs, Cantwell, 2003
3 4 5 3 4 5
Minimumharvest stage should be Stage 4 (pink-orange)
3
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Development Development
Growth Growth
Maturation Maturation
Physiological Maturity Physiological Maturity
Ripening Ripening
Senescence Senescence
Watada et al., 1984
Developmental
Continuum
Diaz-Mula et al., 2008. J . Sci. Food Agric 88:2499-2507
Evolution of some physical, chemical and physiological parameters during
fruit development and ripening on the tree of Golden Globe Plum.
Days fromanthesis
5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55
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Fruit weight
Soluble solids
Firmness
Respiration
Ethylene
Ripeness Class
Data fromPratt, 1977; redrawn
fromSeymour &McGlasson1993
0 1 2 3 4
4.0
3.0
2.0
1.0
10
20
30
40
50
60
0.1
1
10
40
Development & Ripeni ng of Honeydew Melons Harvested at Different Stages
Physiology after harvest
Honeydew Melons Honeydew Melons
Fruit Characteristics at 4 Stages of Ripeness
5.7 25 12.3 16.3 3
8.5 38 12.4 4.0 2
8.6 38 10.8 2.4 1
9.4 42 9.0 0.6 0
Firmness*
Pounds
Firmness*
Newtons
Soluble
Solids %
Internal
C
2
H
4
ppm
Stage
Ripeness
* Maximumruptureforcewith8mmprobe
Cantwell, UC Davis
cv. Morning Ice

= typical commercial maturity

Characterize new varieties/maturity
Class 0: Class 0: Immature Immature
Class 1: Class 1: Mature, but Unripe Mature, but Unripe
Ground color greenish Ground color greenish- -white; peel fuzzy; no aroma; white; peel fuzzy; no aroma;
10% soluble solids; flesh crisp, melon splits when cut; 10% soluble solids; flesh crisp, melon splits when cut;
minimum commercial harvest maturity minimum commercial harvest maturity
Class 2: Class 2: Mature, Ripening Mature, Ripening
Ground color white; begins to develop surface wax; Ground color white; begins to develop surface wax;
pulp crisp, melon splits pulp crisp, melon splits
Honeydew Honeydew and and Orange Flesh Orange Flesh Melons Melons
Maturity and Ripeness Classes Maturity and Ripeness Classes
Minimum for
Good Eating
Mr Tay, Hupco Ltd., Importer, Singapore, 15May2008
4
Papaya (Exotica2), slow
ripening cultivar
PH treatment with Ethrel
2days after treatment,
Differences in maturity
accentuated
May 10, 2008
From YK Chan
MAFC, MY
Watermelon Pineapple Longan
Tamarillo Pepper (Bell) Lime
Strawberry Orange Lemon
Raspberry Muskmelons Grapefruit
Rambutan Mandarin Grape
Prickly Pear Litchi Cherry
Pomegranate Loquat Blackberry
Group 1* Non climacteric Fruits
Fruits that are not capable of continuing ripening process
(physiological changes) once removed from the plant.
*No increase in sugar content;
Changes in firmness, external color, and aroma may occur
Tomato Pear Kiwifruit
Sapotes Peach Guava
Sapodilla (chico) Passion fruit Cherimoya
Quince Papaya Banana
Plum Nectarine Avocado
Persimmon Mangosteen Apricot
Pepper (chili) Mango Apple
Group 2* Climacteric Fruits
Fruits that can be harvested and ripened off the plant.
*Except for avocado, banana, mango and pear, these fruits attain best flavor if
ripened on the plant; Many of these fruits have large increases in sugar during
ripening.
has significant amount of starch
Indicators of Harvest Maturity
APPLES
Days from full bloom
Time/temp (heat units) from anthesis
Days from harvest to onset of ethylene
production
Ground color
Soluble solids content (SSC)
Flesh firmness and SSC
Starch disappearance pattern
Internal ethylene concentration
Changes in firmness or starch content
Streif index (Firmness/SS*Starch score)
Golden Delicious at Retail Market: How is the maturity in this box?
Maturity and ripeness stages
of Manila mango
1 2 3
1 2 3
1 2 3
Mango Maturity Indices
Fullness of shoulders
External color dark to lighter green
Internal color-white to yellow
Lenticles and hairs on pit
Starch content; specific gravity
5
Violet black 6
Dark maroon violet 5
Maroon Red 4
Pinkish red 3
Blotchypink 2
Pale yellowgreen 1
Color of Fruit Color Index
Mangosteen and eating
Qualitymaturity issues
Maturity and Fruit Quality
Know the consequences of harvesting at
different stages of maturity/ripeness on
final eating quality.
Make sure workers involved in harvest and
selection are well trained to ID correct
maturity/ripeness.
As consumers, take back fruit with poor
eating quality