Storage of 2 highbush blueberry cultivars harvested at 3 ripening stages

This study was conducted to evaluate the relationships between the picking date and the evolution of the organoleptic traits during storage of the fruit of two cultivars of highbush blueberry, a mid-season and mid-late season. Samples of berries were harvested at 3 different ripening stages (early, conventional, late) and cold stored in normal atmosphere (N.A.) for 8 weeks. At each picking date and once a week during the storage, the following parameters have been measured: weight loss, total soluble solids content (T.S.S.), titratable acidity (T.A.). Early picking is not suitable because the T.S.S. content doesn’t increase during the storage whilst the weight loss is quite relevant. A late harvest, convenient to reduce the number of pickings, is acceptable if the delay, compared to the conventional date, does not exceed 3-4 days.