Eva apples are the main cultivar produced in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, where they have been gaining space on the market due to their colour and flavour characteristics and their early harvest. This study aimed to evaluate the physical and chemical characteristics of fruits from the cultivar Eva at five distinct times in the same crop year (11/11, 16/11,. 23/11, 30/11 and 02/12 in the year 2012) in the municipalities of Maria da Fé and Piedade do Rio Grande (MG-Brazil). The experimental design used was a 2 x 5 completely randomized factorial scheme with 10 treatments, five replications and five fruits per replication. Mass, firmness, titratable acidity and soluble solids of the fruits were evaluated. There were significant differences for all the characteristics evaluated. The best quality fruits were obtained from the last harvest (12/2/11) at both locations. However, harvesting before December 2nd allowed for a better remuneration of the producer, due to a lack of the product on the market.
Malus domestica Borkh; harvest; quality