Changes in ripening behavior of ‘d'Anjou’ pears ( Pyrus communis L.) after cold storage

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‘d'Anjou’ pear fruit, harvested at optimum maturity with flesh firmness of 6.8 kg, were stored at −1.1°C. Fruit were ripened at 20°C for 15 days following storage for 1–8 months. Dessert qualities were evaluated organoleptically on Day 10 of each ripening period. Changes in fruit firmness, extractable juice, titratable acids, solubl solids, respiration, ethylene production and internal ethylene were determined daily during each ripening period. Fruit firmness declined continually from 6.8 kg at harvest to 4.5 kg after 8 months of storage. Fruit stored for 2–8 months softened with a similar pattern during a 15-day ripening period at 20°C, while fruit stored for 1 month softened at a slower rate during ripening to 3.2 kg, with a coarse and dry texture after 15 days at 20°C. Fruit stored for 2–4 months ripened with the desirable buttery and juicy texture, while those stored for more than 5 months ripened with a coarse or mealy and dry texture. The buttery and juicy texture was highly correlated with a lower extractable juice, which could be used for quantitative determination of storage life based on ripened fruit quality. Changes in titratable acids and soluble solids during each ripening period were not associated with changes in dessert qualities of the ripened pears. Rates of respiration, ethylene production and internal ethylene during ripening at 20°C varied with duration of storage, but were not associated with changes in dessert qualities of the ripened fruit.