Colour at harvest and post-harvest behaviour influence paprika and chilli spice quality

Capsicum annuum L. paprika and cayenne chilli pepper fruit were grown for red spice production and harvested at various colour stages on the same day. Fruit of each stage were allowed to change colour at room temperature with or without the addition of 100 μl 1-1 ethylene. Fruit appearance and colour development, and respiration and ethylene production were measured during the colouring period. Ethylene treatment had no effect on colour development or pungency for both cultivars, even though it easily crossed the cuticle, epidermis and flesh tissues into the fruit cavity. Green or deep green harvested fruit failed to fully colour red, while fruit that were harvested at or after the colour break stage visually completed their red colour development within 7-9 days. However, the colour intensity of spice powder was low for all fruit that had not developed a deep red colour prior to harvest. For paprika no difference between deep red fruit that were succulent or that had partially dried on the plant was found, but chilli fruit that had partially dried before harvest produced the most intense colour. American Spice Trade Association (ASTA) extractable red colour was the best measure of spice colour quality, compared to reflected lightness (L*), chroma (C*) and hue angle (h°) colour measurements. Pungency did not change between ripeness stages for chilli and was absent in paprika. Paprika and chilli fruit showed climacteric behaviour as long as they were attached to the plant, but when detached were non-climacteric. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V