The behavior of persimmon fruit cv. Karaj in response to postharvest hot water treatments and storage temperature

There is not enough information about postharvest physiological behavior and optimum storage temperature of cultivated persimmons in Karaj region of Iran. In this study, persimmon fruit, cv. Karaj, was harvested at mature stage and was treated with hot waters at 45 and 50°C for 20, 30 and 45 min. Besides, one lot of fruit was bathed at 25°C for 30 min as control treatment. The physiological behaviors of treated fruits were monitored during 4 months storage at 0, 2 and 5°C. Results showed that severity of symptoms, such as; skin browning index, fruit softening, fungal disease incidence and loss of color indices (L*, a*, b*), were higher in storage at 2 and 5°C than storage at 0°C. Therefore, ʻKarajʼ persimmon was tolerant to 0°C for storing purpose. On the other hand, hot water treatments at 45°C for 30 and 45 min and 50°C for 20 min maintained fruit firmness and color properties, and controlled disease incidence better than that of control and hot water treatment at 45°C for 20 min. However, hot water treatment at 50°C for 30 and 45 min, in spite of maintaining suitable colour properties, contrary with other effective treatments caused to fruit skin browning and had notociable fungal disease. Therefore, hot water treatments at 45°C for 30 and 45 min and 50°C for 20 min are the recommendable treatments for increasing postharvest life of Karaj persimmon.