To verify the effects of ripening stages and of polyethylene packing, `Reubennel' plums were picked at two ripening stages: green fruits with 25-50% red colour and semi-ripe fruits with 50-75% red colour, and stored for 14, 28 and 42 days at 0oC and 90-95% RH (+ 3 days of simulated marketing at 25-26oC). Half of the fruits were packed with perforated polyethylene bags. The polyethylene reduced fruit weight losses during cold storage, without affecting other parameters studied (firmness, total soluble solids, total titratable acidity and total soluble solids/total titratable acidity ratio). Fruits of this cultivar can be well stored up to 42 days and the best ripening stage during cold storage was the green stage.
polyethylene; ripening stage; cold storage; plums