The effect of storage conditions on the quality of everbearing strawberry cultivar 'Capri'

Strawberry is one of the most economically important fresh consumed fruit due to its pleasant flavour, intense smell, and mouth-watering aroma. Storage with controlled atmosphere allows fruit without a significant decrease in quality, resulting in a longer shelf life of fresh fruit. A research on the effect of postharvest storage conditions (conventional cold room and controlled atmosphere storage with higher CO₂) on fruit firmness, chemical compositions and weight loss has been conducted. The fruits were stored for 7 days and samples for analyses were taken at harvesting, after two, four and seven days of storage. The observations revealed that the fruit quality had declined especially in fruit stored in conventional cold room. In comparison with fresh strawberries, stored fruits lost their firmness (up to 25%) and total weight (up to 0.7%) but an increase in total soluble solids (up to 20% Brix) was noted. Fruits that were stored in a cold room with controlled atmosphere were the least affected. Additionally, a change in the content of sugars and organic acids has been documented already after just two days of storage. To maintain a higher fruit quality, the fruit must be cooled soon after harvest and then stored under optimal conditions - a cold room with a controlled atmosphere.