Studies on Storage Methods of Agricultural Products (II)

The pre-cooler type Jacketed Room System and Effect of Precooling Methods on the Quality of Unshu Mandarin during Storage (1)

Abstract

A pre-cooler type Jacketed Room System was designed and constructed.
Studies were carried out to investigate the effect of the difference in pre-cooling and storage methods on the quality of Unshu Mandarin using the pre-cooler type Jacketed Room System, three types of pre-coolers and a conventional storage room.
The changes in the qualities such as external apperarence, weight loss, respirative rate, sugar content, acidity, and color of peel were objectively measured by instrumental methods during storage.
All of these results were discussed, and the suitable methods for the pre-cooling and storage of Unshu Mandarin were presented.
A summary of the results is given below.
1) From the point of view for the faculty of cooling and effect on the quality, vacum-cooling was not suitable for Unshu Mandarin.
2) The weight loss for 30 days on the samples stored in the jacketed room system was about half that of the standard storage room.
3) After one month storage, the decay of fruit occured in the lots of the samples pre-cooled with the hydro-cooler.
4) The respirative rate of the samples precooled with the vacum-cooler was always 5-10ppm/kg higher than that of the samples pre-cooled with hydro-and air-coolers.
5) By using a spectrophotometer, it was possible to observe the change in chlorophyll of Unshu Mandarin peel during storage. From the stand-point of controlling the peel color of Unshu Mandarin during storage, the air-cooler was the most superior to other coolers.