The objective of this work was to evaluate the influence of the maturation stages in the postharvest quality of 'Pedro Sato' guavas (Psidium guajava L.). The fruits were harvested in three maturation stages, based on the skin color , (stage 1- dark green: stage 2- light green and stage 3- yellowish green) and stored at 25±1 ºC and 85±5% relative umidity. At the harvest, the three maturation stages presented distinct results to skin color, pulp firmness and relationship total soluble solids/total acydity (TSS/TA). The maximum market life period was six, four and two days after the harvest for the stages 1, 2 and 3, respectively. At the end of this period, the fruits harvested at stage 1 showed the skin color greener (hº>101.55), major acidity and minor ratio TSS/TA than the other stages. The fruits harvested on the 2 and 3 stages did not show differences in the physico-chemical characteristics at the end of the market life period, but they show differences in the sensorial quality, where the fruits harvested at the stage 3 were better than the others.
Psidium guajava; ripening; sensorial quality
