Fruit quality of stored, fresh red raspberries after a delay in precooling

The effects of delayed precooling on fresh red raspberry fruit during storage was determined. Precooling was delayed for 0.5 to 12 hours, followed by cold storage for 8 days, with subsequent storage at 20C for 24 hours. Weight loss was greater with increasing delays of precooling. Fruit that lost more weight during the delay period lost less during the subsequent S-day storage at 0C. The exception was fruit held for 12 hours before precooling. Weight loss during the final 24 hours at 20C showed no pattern. Cumulative weight loss at the end of the storage treatments was similar regardless of delay of precooling. Fruit strength was reduced by any delay of precooling. The effect of delayed precooling on color was not consistent in the 2 years using different cultivars. The results indicate that fruit should be precooled as quickly as possible after harvest for long-distance fresh marketing.