Effect of storage temperature on apple volatiles associated with low temperature breakdown

Abstract

Summary Jonathan apples were stored at temperatures from —1° to 10 °C, and the rate of loss of volatiles from the fruit and the amounts of volatiles remaining in the fruit were measured over a period of 12 weeks. Fruit stored at —1 °C retained the greatest amount of acetic acid. At 0° and 2.5 °C the amount retained was also high, but at 5° and 10 °C it was very low. The loss of butyl, isopentyl and hexyl acetates was highest at 10 °C and decreased markedly with decreasing temperature. It is suggested that low temperature breakdown does not occur at higher temperatures because the increased loss of acetate as esters results in a reduction of the amount of acetic acid available to produce the disorder.