Influence of Different Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide Concentrations during Storage on Production of Volatile Compounds by Starking Delicious Apples.

Starking Delicious apples were cold-stored in semicommercial chambers in normal atmosphere and in different controlled atmospheres in which oxygen and carbon dioxide were held at 1%, 2%, and 3% for 3, 5, and 7 months. After storage, fruit was kept at ambient temperature (20 degrees C) for 1, 5, and 10 days. The volatile emission was collected and analyzed. After all storage periods and conditions, the total aromatic volatile emission was higher than at commercial harvest. The highest emission of volatile components was obtained after 5 months of storage, in which controlled-atmosphere conditions gave a lower concentration than normal cold storage. Esters were the main volatiles detected (>98%). Acetate ester concentrations after all storage periods assayed were higher at 3% and 2% O(2)/CO(2). The components that contributed most to the characteristic aroma of Starking Delicious were ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, ethyl butyrate, and ethyl hexanoate. Their concentrations were higher after 5 months of storage and also during poststorage at ambient temperature (20 degrees C).