Abstract

PINZON, Ingrid Mónica del Pilar; FISCHER, Gerhard  and  CORREDOR, Guillermo. Determination of the maturity stages of purple passion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims.). Agron. colomb. [online]. 2007, vol.25, n.1, pp.83-95. ISSN 0120-9965.

In accordance with the skin color, six stages of maturity of the purple passion fruit were determined, starting from completely green (stage 0) up to overripe (stage 6). The fruits were obtained at the “Quebrada Grande and Alta” district (1,900 m asl, 18ºC medium temperature, 1,718 mm annual precipitation) located in the municipality Venecia, Cundinamarca, Colombia. Physical (weight, size, density, rind firmness, and color) and chemical (total soluble solids [TSS], total titratable acidity [TTA], and pH) characteristics and maturity index were evaluated for each of the maturity stages of the fruit. A table of color for these stages was obtained and important parameters that can be used as harvest indexes, since they presented significant interrelations with fruit stages, were established: skin color, Brix grades, titratable acidity, and pH. The maturity stage determined as ideal for harvest was stage 3, which corresponds to a fruit 40-50 % green and 40-50 % purple, since in this phase the fruit was a densiest one and reached the maximum of total and pulp fresh weights. The chemical parameters evaluated indicated that the fruit at stage 3 had a highest content of TSS (15,9 ºBrix), and also began to increase its pH value from 3,0 to 3,6 (stage 6) and decrease contents TTA (13%). These Brix grades and acidity percentage are desirable characteristics making the fruit more attractive for the consumption, since its acidity decreases.

Keywords : maturity index; color; Brix grades; pH; titratable acid; fruit weight.

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