Effect of Delayed Cooling on the Poststorage Flesh Firmness of Apples

Decreasing the delay in proper cooling of apples before storage can decrease the softening of fruit in storage. Three apple cultivars were studied and storage delays were simulated for two growing seasons. Each cultivar showed a different softening rate in storage as a result of delays in cooling. Apple cultivars should be cooled rapidly especially those susceptible to firmness loss as a result of delays in cooling.