Effect of different retailing and home preservation methods on quality of strawberry after forced-air cooling and low temperature transportation.

Strawberry packaged plastic clamshell containers within carton were used forced-air cooling from 26°C to 3°C, transported at 0°C for 1 day(d), Then the strawberry was either retailed at 4°C with humidification (RH:90%~95%) for 2 days, retailed at 4°C without humidification for 2 days, or retailed at room temperature (23-25°C) for 2 days. Finally, for the case of retailing at 4°C with humidification, the product was further stored in either a domestic refrigerator for days or stored at room temperature (23-25°C) for 2 days. The result showed that the sensory evaluation of strawberry at 4°C with humidification, 4°C, 23-25°C were 7.7, 7.3, 4.3, respectively. 4°C with humidification was the best retailing method of strawberry. Its weight loss, firmness, sugar-acid ratio, relative conductivity, vitamin C content of strawberry were 0.95%, 13.33N, 14.82, 41.39%, 105.50mg/100g, respectively. After 2d retailing at 4°C with humidification plus 2d home preservation, the sensory evaluation of strawberry in refrigerator and at room temperature were 6.8, 3.8, respectively. The former was significant better than the latter on quality of strawberry. The weight loss, firmness, sugar-acid ratio, relative conductivity, vitamin C content of strawberry in refrigerator were 2.13%, 12.6N, 14.05, 43.10%, 91.82mg/100g after 2d, respectively.