Effect of Storage at Chilling Temperatures on the Quality of Squash Fruit (Cucurbita maxima Duch.)

Abstract

　We studied the effects of chilling temperatures on the occurrence of injury and content composition of squash fruit to determine the optimum storage temperature and shelf life. Pitting of the squash fruit was confirmed to be a chilling injury. Pitting was not observed when stored at 10℃ for 91 days. Starch content and firmness of the squash fruit decreased as a result of an increase in storage temperature. Total sugar content increased during storage. In particular, when stored at 5℃, the total sugar content of squash fruit was higher than that at 10℃ and 15℃. It has been suggested that the sweetness can be possibly increased within a short period (while avoiding chilling injury) by storage at 5℃ for 30 days. Considering the chilling injury and variation in content composition during long-term storage, it has been proposed that the optimum storage temperature of squash fruit is 10℃ for 64 days.