The effect of ripeness on storage quality of ‘Carlos’ muscadine grapes

Abstract

Five replications of bronze muscadine grapes ( Vitis rotundifolia Michx.) cultivar ‘Carlos’, light-sorted on a Berrymatic into 4 classes of ripeness, were stored at 0°C for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 7 weeks. After removal from storage, decay of the grapes was measured after 0-, 1-, 2-, 3- or 6-day holding-periods at 20°C. Each increase in ripeness was related to a greater amount of decay development either during or after storage. Grapes of any ripeness level could be stored at 0°C with 10% or less decay for 1 week; the next-to-least-ripe class of grapes could be stored for 3 weeks; and the least-ripe (sol. sol acid ratio of 14.2) could be stored for 5 weeks. However, if 2 days at room temperature (20°C) after 0°C storage were added to simulate fresh-marketing exposure, only the least-ripe ones could be stored acceptably for 1 week at 0°C (without storage supplements).