Effect of harvest season, maturity and storage temperature on storability of carambola 'Honglong' fruit

•Averrhoa carambola L. cv. Honglong is a new cultivar and the research is great importance for basic research and commercial application.•The storability and quality of carambola fruit were significantly affected by different seasons and harvesting maturity.•Using 5 °C as appropriate storage temperature can effectively prolong the storage time and maintain quality.

Averrhoa carambola L. cv. Honglong is a species newly bred in Taiwan for commercial purposes. However, few studies have been conducted on the storage and transportation of this fruit. Accordingly, the present study investigated the influences of harvest reasons, fruit maturity, and storage temperature on the food quality and storage life of 'Honglong' fruits. The results showed that the color and firmness of summer fruits were superior to those of winter fruits; the winter fruits at 70% or 80% maturity had a significantly longer the storage life than the corresponding summer fruits. Fruits with 70% maturity (i.e., when half of the fruit is yellow) are bright green-yellow, high in total soluble solids (7.1°Brix for winter fruits and 7.5°Brix for summer fruits), and low in titratable acidity (0.34% for winter fruits and 0.32% for summer fruits). In addition, the storage life and cold resistance of fruits with 70% maturity had a longer life and were more resistant to cold than those with 60% maturity were. The transportation storage temperature of 5 °C caused slight chilling injury but was optimal for maintaining food quality, storage life, and shelf life. Storage temperatures of 0 and 3 °C caused severe chilling injury, and 10 °C caused the fruits to rapidly turn yellow and rot. We suggest that 'Honglong' fruits be harvested at 70% maturity and be stored at 5 °C to achieve optimal quality for commercial production.