Physicochemical Changes, Peel Colour, and Juice Attributes of Blood Orange Cultivars Stored at Different Temperatures

Changes in physicochemical traits, peel colour, and juice attributes of four blood orange cultivars (‘Moro’, ‘Tarocco’, ‘Sanguinello’, and ‘Sanguine’) were evaluated during 180 days at 2 and 5 °C plus 2 days at 20 °C for shelf life. ‘Tarocco’ had the lowest weight and firmness losses at both temperatures during storage. Titratable acidity (TA) at 5 °C was higher than 2 °C, with ‘Sanguinello’ and ‘Tarocco’ showing the highest and lowest TA, respectively. Juice content decreased during storage at both temperatures, although ‘Sanguinello’ had the highest juice content among the tested cultivars. Peel colour parameters including L* (lightness), b*, hue angle (h°), and chroma (C*) decreased during cold storage, while a* and citrus colour index (CCI) increased in all cultivars at both temperatures. The order for CCI was ‘Tarocco’ > ‘Moro’ > ‘Sanguinello’ > ‘Sanguine’. Overall, prolonged storage at 5 °C was considered as optimum temperature for all cultivars, although ‘Sanguinello’ cultivar had a better aptitude for the citrus juice industry