Figs - Tropical and Subtropical Fruits: Postharvest Physiology, Processing and Packaging - page 447

at 6 ◦ C with film wrapping exhibited best sensory quality
(texture, juiciness, and taste).

such as toxic residues on the fruit, should not be ignored,
as many people consume fresh figs together with the skin
(Flaishman et al., 2008).

Controlled atmosphere storage
CA combinations of 5-10% O 2 and 15-20% CO 2 are ef-
fective in decay control, firmness retention, and reduction
of respiration and ethylene production rates. Postharvest
life at optimum temperature and RH depends on cultivar
and ripeness stage at harvest and ranges from 1 to 2 weeks
in air and from 3 to 4 weeks in CA for California-grown
'Black Mission' and 'Calimyrna' figs (Crisosto and Kader,
2009). However, little research has been done so far on the
effect of reduced O 2 level on keeping quality of fresh stored
figs. Tsantili et al. (2003) reported that storage of 'Mavra
Makropoulou' figs (a 'Smyrna' type, harvested close to
full ripening) in an atmosphere of 2% O 2 reduced their
respiratory activity and ethylene production and inhibited
softening as compared to air storage. The best results were
obtained by combining low-O 2 conditions with storage at
-1 ◦ C, which allowed maintenance of acceptable fruit qual-
ity for 1 month, as compared to 15 days at 4 ◦ C. The influ-
ence of CO 2 in that study was neutralized by using lime for
CO 2 absorption.
The effects of elevated CO 2 level on fresh figs storage
have been studied much more extensively. Claypool and
Ozbek (1952) reported that storage at 20 ◦ C in atmospheres
containing up to 60% CO 2 was of little help for extending
storage life of 'Mission' figs. However, Colelli et al. (1991)
subsequently demonstrated good quality preservation of
the same cultivar kept at 0 ◦ ,2 ◦ ,or5 ◦ C in atmospheres en-
riched with 15% or 20% CO 2 . The advantages of high CO 2
storage included decay reduction, preservation of firmness,
and good fruit appearance as well as inhibition of ethylene
production. Similar results were reported by other authors
(Mathooko et al., 1993; Park et al., 1998; Park and Jung,
2000).
A desirable CO 2 level of 15-20% is mentioned in
most recommendations for fresh fig storage (Kader, 2003;
Crisosto and Kader, 2004). At the same time, T urk et al.
(1994), after testing a range of O 2 and CO 2 combina-
tions, recommended formulations with lower CO 2 concen-
trations (3-5% combined with the same level of O 2 )forCA
storage of 'Bursa Siyahı' figs.
Relatively high CO 2 concentrations (10% and above)
were reported to cause damage to 'Nazareth' figs, man-
ifested as excessive softening, abnormal ripening, and
off flavor. Crisosto et al. (2006) studied on the effects
of CA storage on the market life of fresh fig culti-
vars. In the study, three fig cultivars, 'Brown Turkey,'
'Kadota,' and 'Mission,' were stored under two atmospheric

Storage of fresh figs and shelf life
At 40 ◦ -43 ◦ F (4.44 ◦ -6.11 ◦ C) and 75% RH, figs remain in
good condition for 8 days but have a shelf life of only
1-2 days when removed from storage. At 50 ◦ F(10 ◦ C) and
relative humidity of 85%, figs can be kept no longer than
21 days. They remain in good condition for 30 days when
stored at 32 ◦ -35 ◦ F(0 ◦ -1.67 ◦ C). If frozen whole, figs' qual-
ity can be maintained for several months (Morton, 1987).
Storage life of fresh figs is dependent on different storage
methods used, as discussed subsequently.

Cold storage
Figs are not sensitive to chilling injury, and therefore the
recommended conditions for their storage are -1 ◦ C-0 ◦ C
and 90-95% RH (Crisosto and Kader, 2004); in practice,
temperatures between -1 ◦ Cand2 ◦ C are normally used.
Forced-air cooling should be applied to reduce the temper-
ature of harvested fruit as soon as possible (Turk, 1989).
Cooling delay of 4-8 hours can initiate fruit softening, as
was reported for 'San Pietro' figs when the fruit was cooled
1 hour after the harvest; however, no such difference was
observed in 'Melanzano' cultivar (Zerbini et al., 1986). Fast
precooling extended the life of 'Bursa Siyahı' fig stored
at 0 ◦ C from 2 to 4 weeks compared to fruit kept at the
same temperature without precooling (Celikel and Kara-
calı, 1998). These authors showed that without forced-air
cooling, it took 48 hours until the fruit reached a desirable
temperature. Vacuum precooling of figs rapidly reduced
the fruit temperature but was not recommended due to the
negative effect on the fruit appearance. Figs harvested at
optimal maturity stage and properly cooled within 6 hours
after harvest could be kept for 20 days at 1 ◦ C, for 7 days at
10 ◦ C, but only for 2-3 days at 20 ◦ C (Ito and Sato, 1987).
Waskar (2009b) reported that the shelf life of some fig
varieties could be extended up to 8 days at a lower temper-
ature (5 ◦ C) and 90-92% RH, when given preharvest sprays
of 1% CaCl 2 10 days before harvesting as against shelf life
of 5 days for untreated fruits.
Garcıa et al. (2003) studied the conditions to extend the
postharvest life of fresh fig (cv. white 'Cuello de dama').
Three storage temperatures (0 ◦ ,3 ◦ ,and6 ◦ C) along with the
partial modification of the atmosphere at 6 ◦ C was studied.
Figs stored at 0 ◦ and 6 ◦ C showed higher values for soluble
solids. At 6 ◦ C the samples without film wrapping had a
higher ◦ Brix due to higher water loss, while samples stored