The purpose of this research was to verify the influence of polyethylene bags during the cold storage of persimmon fruits (Diospyros kaki L.) when astringency removal is performed and to evaluate the quality of fruits when submitted to this process. Packed 'Gionbo' persimmons in low-density polyethylene bags and non-packed fruits were kept in a cold room at 1°C and 95-98% RH. After 30 days of storage, fruits were submitted to astringency removal process by exposition to alcohol vapor for 40 hours at 20°C and 95% RH. Chemical and physical characteristics of the fruits were measured during 6 days. The use of polyethylene bags resulted in less fresh matter loss after the deastringency process, but it did not affected the soluble tannin content, flesh firmness, soluble solids, titratable acidity and ascorbic acid content. Fruits in storage for 30 days and submitted at ethyl alcohol vapor became non-astringent 3 days after the treatment. However they showed low flesh firmness and high fresh matter.
Diospyros kaki; polyethylene; tannin; ethyl alcohol
