Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
10
Stone Fruit
Carlos H. Crisosto and Kevin R. Day
INTRODUCTION
The term 'stone fruit' is used to cover fruits of the
Prunus
species, peaches, nectarines, plums, cherries and apricots.
This chapter will concentrate on post-harvest issues relat-
ing to peaches, nectarines and plums. Owing to their close
relationship peaches and nectarines will be considered
together.
origin is unknown. Because they may have arisen from
peach seeds, most peach-growing areas world-wide have
also introduced nectarine cultivars.
Plums
Plums (
Prunus salicina
) are mainly marketed for fresh
consumption and not for drying. They are also used for
canning, freezing and jam and jelly making. The Japanese
plum is native to China, but was domesticated in Japan
about 400 years ago. It was first brought to California from
Japan in 1870 by John Kelsey. In 1885, Luther Burbank
imported about 12 seeds from Japan, and used them to
breed many cultivars. The plum industry has increased
throughout California (mainly in the southern San Joaquin
Valley) where most Japanese plums in the United States
are grown. Prunes are cultivars of European Plum (
Prunus
domestica
, L.) which can be dried whole. Like plums,
prunes can be eaten fresh (if a very sweet fruit is desired);
but they also have the high sugar content necessary for
successful drying. The European plum, believed to have
originated in the Near East, has been grown in parts of
Europe for many centuries. Through its culture in France,
the prune 'd'Agen' was introduced to California from
France by Louis Pellier, a French horticulturist who had
come to California seeking gold.
Plums (
Prunus salicina
Lindell) have the potential to
contribute greatly to human nutrition because of their
richness in fiber and antioxidants. These values can be
found in the USDA Food Composition Database (USDA
2007b).
Peaches and nectarines
Peaches and nectarines are classified from the horticultural
point of view as stone fruits or drupes. They are soft fleshed
with a pit, contain a high level of antioxidant but are highly
perishable with a limited market life potential (Lill
et al
.
1989). The total antioxidant capacities of peaches and
nectarines are about 15% and 20% of the total antioxidant
capacity relative to that of 100 ml of red wine and 100 ml of
green tea, respectively (USDA 2007a). Potential opportu-
nities for export marketing, combined with the desire to
store some late-season cultivars to extend the marketing
season, have increased interest in understanding fruit
physiology and extending postharvest life.
Peach,
Prunus persicae
, is native to China and Persia
(Iran); at one time it was called 'Persian apple.' Chinese
literature dates its cultivation in China to 1000 bce.
Probably carried from China to Persia, the peach quickly
spread from there to Europe. In the sixteenth century, it
was established in Mexico probably by the Spanish mis-
sionaries who introduced the peach to California in the
eighteenth century. Nectarine (
Prunus persicae
var. nec-
tarina) has been reported for nearly as long as peach, but its
