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Fruit Produce Facts English
Apple, Golden Delicious
Recommendations for Maintaining Postharvest Quality
Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis
Maturity & Quality
Maturity IndicesColor change from dark green to light green or yellowish-green. Firmness of 17 pounds-force, 20 to 40% of cortex clear of starch. Generally about 135 to 150 days from full bloom. Quality Indices
Maturity & Quality Photos
Apple, Golden Delicious, Malus domestica by Kader, Adel A, Professor Emeritus and CE Specialist, Emeritus Department of Plant Sciences
Title: Skin Color Chart Photo Credit: Adel Kader, UC, Davis
Temperature & Controlled Atmosphere
Optimum Temperature0°C ± 1°C (32°F ± 2°F); Freezing temperature: -1.7°C (29°F) Optimum Relative Humidity90-95% RH Rates of Respiration1
To calculate heat production multiply ml CO2/kg·hr by 440 to get Btu/ton/day or by 122 to get kcal/metric ton/day. Rates of Ethylene Production2
2Higher rates for riper apples. Responses to EthyleneEthylene stimulates ripening. Mixed results on the benefits of scrubbing ethylene from storage rooms, depending on harvest maturity, and duration and type of storage (air or CA). Responses to Temperature & Controlled Atmosphere (CA)Fruit to be stored longer than one month benefit from CA storage in terms of retention of flesh firmness, acidity, and skin color. CA storage potential is up to 10 months (vs. 6 months in air). Recommended atmospheres: 1 to 3% O2 + 1.5 to 3% CO2 Temperature & Controlled Atmosphere Photos
Title: Temperature vs. Ripening Photo Credit: Don Edwards, UC, Davis
Disorders
Physiological and Physical DisordersShrivel. Golden Delicious apples are particularly susceptible to water loss. Weight loss can be as high as 3 to 6%. Rapid cooling, storage of fruit with plastic bin liners, and well-designed refrigeration equipment will reduce water loss. Bruising. Can be excessive, especially for Golden Delicious where bruises are more visible. Gentle handling is important. Bitter Pit. Sunken brown spots on the skin, especially at the calyx end, related to low calcium concentrations in the apple. Best controlled by calcium sprays prior to harvest and calcium dips prior to cold storage. Apply field sprays under rapid drying conditions to avoid russeting. Reduced incidence with controlled atmosphere storage. Superficial Scald. Browning of the skin which develops in cold storage. Susceptibility of Golden Delicious is low. Controlled atmosphere storage delays onset. Diphenylamine used infrequently; follow label rates. Controlled Atmosphere Damage. Oxygen levels below 1% and CO2 above 15% may induce off-flavors due to fermentative metabolism. Other symptoms of CO2 injury include partially sunken brown lesions on skin or internal browning and cavities. Pathological DisordersMoldy Core. Caused by several fungi including Alternaria sp., Fusarium sp., Aspergillus and Penicillium. Golden Delicious apples are particularly susceptible because of the open or deep sinus cavity. Drenching can increase the incidence of moldy core. Blue Mold, Gray Mold. The two most important postharvest diseases of Golden Delicious apples are caused by Penicillium expansum and Botrytis cinerea. Both fungi are wound pathogens. Sanitation is critical to control of these diseases. Drenching can spread spores of Penicillium and Botrytis to wounds from harvest operations. Use of fungicides during drenching may reduce decay. [For more information, see our publication “Fruit Ripening and Ethylene Management”, available for purchase using our Publication order form.] Disorders Photos
Title: Bruising Photo Credit: Don Edwards, UC, Davis 
Title: Compression Bruising Photo Credit: Don Edwards, UC, Davis 
Title: Freezing Injury Photo Credit: Don Edwards, UC, Davis 
Title: Shrivel Photo Credit: Don Edwards, UC, Davis 
Title: Aspergillus Mold Photo Credit: Don Edwards, UC, Davis 
Title: Blue Mold Photo Credit: Don Edwards, UC, Davis 
Title: Gray Mold Photo Credit: Don Edwards, UC, Davis 
Title: Mucor Rot Photo Credit: Don Edwards, UC, Davis 
Title: Mucor Rot (2) Photo Credit: Don Edwards, UC, Davis 
Title: Rhizopus mold Photo Credit: Don Edwards, UC, Davis
Date
August 1999 |
Use of Materials
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Except for these specified uses, no part of the textual materials available on the UC Postharvest Technology Center Web site may be copied, downloaded, stored in a retrieval system, further transmitted or otherwise reproduced, stored, disseminated, transferred or used, in any form or by any means, except as permitted herein or with the University of California's prior written agreement. Request permission from UC Postharvest Technology Center. Distribution for commercial purposes is prohibited.
The information in this fact sheet represents our best understanding of the current state of knowledge at the time of the latest update, and does not represent an exhaustive review of all research results. Links to any of these UC Postharvest Technology Center pages are permitted, but no endorsement of the linking site or products mentioned in the linking page is intended or implied by such a link.
How to Cite
Author(s) names. Initial publication or update date (located at the top). Title. Link to the specific Produce Fact Sheet webpage (Accessed date)
Example: Cantwell, M. and T. Suslow. 2002. Lettuce, Crisphead: Recommendations for Maintaining Postharvest Quality.
http://ucanr.edu/sites/Postharvest_Technology_Center_/Commodity_Resources/Fact_Sheets/Datastores/Vegetables_English/?uid=19&ds=799 (Accessed January 18, 2014).
