In this study the fruit quality was characterized at different harvest points for storage of varieties of passion fruits: BRS Gigante Amarelo, BRS Ouro Vermelho and BRS Sol do Cerrado. The physical characteristics of fruits (appearance, mass loss and peel color) and chemical parameters of juice (content of acidity, pH, ascorbic acid, total soluble solids, total soluble sugars and reducing sugars) were characterized. The method of Simple Random Sampling (SRS) was applied, with 0.05 level of significance, and means were compared using the "t" Test for Confidence Intervals. Fruits harvested in the early ripening stages showed a higher mass loss as well as the worst juice quality. It was concluded that fruits of different cultivars harvested in summer seasons must present at least 55% of yellow peel color to render the lower mass loss, the best quality of juice and to extend the storage time.
Passiflora edulis; maturation stages; BRS Gigante Amarelo; BRS Ouro Vermelho; BRS Sol do Cerrado
