EFFECT OF EDIBLE WAX AND HOT WATER ON CONSERVATION OF NETTED MUSKMELON

Abstract

Netted muskmelons (Cucumis melo L.) have high demand in USA and Europe markets, However, due to their high sensitivity to wilting, decay and firmness loss, their shelf life is limited. The objective of this work was to evaluate the combined effect of edible wax and hot water treatments on quality maintenance of cantaloupe melons stored at marketing and refrigerating conditions. Cantaloupe melons
cv ‘Primo’ were harvested when peduncles showed ¾ of abscission. Fruits were exposed to the following treatments: Hot water at 55 o
C/3 min, edible wax at room temperature (23-25 o C/3 min), hot edible wax at 55 o C/3 min, hot water plus edible wax at room temperature, and water at 23-25 o C/3 min as control. Treated fruits were divided in two lots, one of them was stored for nine days at 20 o
C and 60-65 % RH (marketing condition simulation); the other was stored for 20 days at 1 o C and 90-95 % RH followed by six days at 20 o
C. Respiratory rate, ethylene production, fruit weight loss, total soluble solids content and pulp firmness were determined during storage. Results revealed that by applying edible wax (room temperature or hot), the quality traits (higher firmness and soluble solids content) were maintained in both storage conditions; fruit metabolism was also controlled (respiration rate and ethylene production) and the weight loss
was reduced as compared to hot water, with or without edible wax, and controls. The use of hot edible wax showed to be a good treatment for storage of ‘Primo’ cantaloupe melons during 20 days at 1 °C plus 3 days at 20 °C.