Cultivar characterization of stone fruits for their minimal processing.

Due to their physicochemical properties, minimal processing of fruits is challenging because of their quick quality loss. Therefore, several preservative steps are needed, such as washing treatments, modified atmosphere packaging, cultivar selection, etc. The latter is an important pre-harvest condition due to the fact that many functional compounds and enzymes are dependent on the cultivar. The aim of this study was to compare the minimal processing adaptation of different stone fruits (nectarine, peach, and plum), focusing on visual and functional quality. The fruit underwent minimal processing in a clean room (temperature and relative humidity were kept at 8 °C and 70 %, respectively) and was washed during 2 min into 2 % w/v ascorbic acid, 1 % w/v citric acid, and 1 % w/v calcium lactate solution. To sum up, nectarine and peach offered a better adaptation, and medium-season cultivars had higher quality maintenance. Nevertheless, late cultivars should not be ruled out before hand on account of their remarkable functional content.