Hot water dipping and low temperature storage of 'Eureka' lemons

Abstract

Summary. Prestorage heat treatments at 47–53°C for 1–3 min were investigated as a potential control of chilling injury in cold disinfested ‘Eureka’ lemons (Citrus limon). Hot water dips significantly reduced the incidence of chilling injury in fruit stored at 1°C for 28 and 42 days. Storage at 1°C for 14 days resulted in comparatively minor chilling injury, so that hot water dips gave little additional benefit. This result is thought to reflect the low incidence of chilling injury, rather than the lack of effectiveness of heat treatments. Scald damage (surface browning) occurred after 3 min at 53°C. Heat treatments had no significant effect on the incidence of disease at all durations of storage. The rate of fruit weight loss during 7 days at 20°C after storage for 14, 28 or 42 days at 1°C was significantly lower in heat- treated fruit.