The purpose of this research was to study the effect of different temperatures during the exposure period to ethyl alcohol vapor on quality of persimmon fruits cv. Giombo. Fruits were exposed to alcohol vapor for 42 hours at 10, 20, or 30°C and 95% RH. Chemical and physical characteristics of fruits were measured for nine days, at three day intervals. Soluble tannin degree, flesh firmness, water loss, soluble solids, titratable acidity and ascorbic acid content were measured. Treatment to astringency removal can be accomplished under temperatures of 10, 20 or 30°C, for 42 hours. Degree of soluble tannins was very low at the sixth day after the treatment. The temperature of 30°C promoted higher speed in the process of astringency loss; however, the fruits showed decrease in the flesh firmness and higherup water loss to the fruits submitted to 20 or 10°C.
Diospyros kaki; tanning agents
