It was evaluated the quality characteristic of pequi fruit (C. coriaceum) under freezing and put up in different packages, stored at - 18º C for 300 days. The fruits collected in 2009/2010 crop were peeled thus obtaining the kernel, which after sanitized were submitted to three types of packages: 1 - cut into slices of approximately 2 mm pulp thickness and vacuum sealed with high density polyethylene (HDPE) bags; 2 - kernel packaged in vacuum sealed bags HDPE; 3 - arranged in polystyrene trays and wrapped in plastic film. The samples were evaluated at 0, 60, 120, 180, 240 and 300 days of storage. It was used a completely randomized design in factorial and the results were submitted to analysis of variance and regression. The freezing of pequi fruit subjected to three types of packaging was efficient in preserving the quality characteristics such as pH, tritatable acidity and total sugars during 300 days of storage. The levels of total extractable polyphenols and carotenoids showed marked reduction in pulp packaging vacuum. The most suitable freezing of pequi fruit to maintain the chromaticity is the kernel of vacuum packaging or tray with PVC film.
Storage; packaging; quality characteristics
