Postharvest Weight Loss and Shrivel in Five Fruits and Five Vegetables

Excerpts from the report: At Beltsville, Md., from September 1972 to December 1974, weight loss and shrivel data were collected on over 2,000 individual specimens of freshly harvested nonwaxed fruits and vegetables. The produce items were grown at Beltsville Agricultural Research Center—West or nearby farms. Fruits tested were 640 apples (320 at each of two temperatures) , 100 nectarines, 150 peaches, 320 pears (160 at each of two temperatures), and 70 persimmons. Vegetables tested were 400 snap beans, 20 heads and 30 jacket leaves of early cabbage, 200 sweet peppers, 100 summer squash, and 140 firm ripe tomatoes. This report deals with the amounts of salable weight loss from each of five fruits and five vegetables when each of six degrees of shrivel becomes visible. Weight loss data were collected from produce exposed in a single layer. Thus rates of weight loss reported may be comparable to weight loss rate from surface layers of commercial containers. Good packaging, handling, and marketing practices can materially lower these weight loss rates.