Quality changes of blueberries during storage

Research was carried out in 2015 at Aleksandras Stulginskisuniversity, Open Access Joint Research Centre of Agriculture and Forestry, in the Laboratory of Raw Plant materials Quality. The aim of the research was to determine colour and texture changes in Vaccinium corymbossum L. Reka variety. Blueberies after harvest was kept in three different ways: in fridge and in two different controlled atmosphere chambers Besseling CA Systems (Besseling Group, Netherlands). Fridge – temperature – 2 ± 0,5 ºC, relative humidity – 70 %, 1 chamber – O2 – 1 %, N2 – 99 %, relative humidity – 85 %, temperature – 0 ºC and 2 chamber – O2 – 21 %, N2 – 78 %, CO2 – 1 %, relative humidity – 85 %, temperature – 0 ºC. Were determined skin strength and pulp hardness also were measured color changes (values L*, a*, b*) during berries storage. The most intensive colour indicators changes were detected after 61 days by holding Reka blueberries in fridge and the closest colour indicators to fresh blueberries were in second controlled atmosphere chamber in which air composition was O2 – 21 %, N2 – 78 %, CO2 – 1 %, relative humidity – 85 %, temperature – 0 ºC. Skin strength and pulp hardness of blueberries was the highest quality after 41 days and the lowest quality was after 61 days in fridge. Pulp hardness of blueberries is less influenced than skin strength by storage conditionsVytauto Didžiojo universitetasŽemės ūkio akademij