The durometer does give more consistent readings if used on a controlled velocity and controlled force stand (not necessarily motorized).

Apple firmness (sometimes referred to as pressure) is measured with a penetrometer using an 11-mm round tipped probe. A very thin slice of the skin is removed on two sides of the fruit at the

See the following site for a water activity meter that might work for you.  <http://www.aqualab.com/products/water-activity-meters/pawkit/>.

The separation of the veil from the cap to expose the gills of a mushroom cup is a major component of quality.

I have not seen any research specifically looking at this topic. For the penetrometer itself, there should be no effect on its ability to measure force at different altitudes.

This useful chart was developed by the United States Department of Agricultural Marketing Service (USDA – AMS), and you may find information about this chart, and how to order a copy, on page 8 of

The USDA actually has vinyl color standards that they use to identify Class A and C tomatoes. These can be found on their website and pertain most to tomato paste.

The logic for the delayed harvest is that less mature fruit (earlier harvested) are generally more susceptible to bitter pit.

A pressure tester may be used to determine the force required to release essential oils from the flavedo (outermost layer) of citrus fruits in the orchard to determine optimal time to harvest

You probably want to purchase a hand-held firmness tester called an Effegi.There are more accurate devices, but they are costly and not very useful in the field.The hand hel