The present work has the objective to identify the harvest point, maturity and quality indexes of the fruits of the envireira-caju (Onychopetalum periquino). The fruits were harvested at five maturity stage (1-green, 2-green-orange, 3-orange, 4-orange-wine, 5-color wine), being the stage 5 ripened in the plant and used as pattern in the determination of the harvest point and of the maturity and quality indexes of the fruit. The harvested fruits were storage in condition it adapts (26 ± 3 ºC and 85-90% relative humidity). The experimental design was completely randomized in split-plot arrangement, with additional treatment, with four repetitions, containing each replication three fruits. The plot corresponded to the maturity storage and the split-plot by the ripened stage (zero day for to all stages and four day for estages 1 and 2 and of 2 days to the stages 3 and 4). The interaction among the maturation stage in the harvest and in the storage it affected significantly all the analyzed variables, except the pulp revenue. The fruits harvested in the stage green-orange they present larger shelf life and equivalent quality indexes to the fruits ripened in the plant, after the ripening. The harvest point of the envira-caju fruits can be harvested when it reaches 0.14% of titratable total acidity (TTA), 8.62% of soluble solids (SS), 64.17 of SS/TTA, 60.55 g of medium weight and 60.37% of pulp revenue, constituting reliable indexes of the harvested point.
Onychopetalum periquino; native fruits; postharvest; quality
