Search Results
Abstract
Fruit shown on the cover are the ‘Florida MH-1’ tomatoes – harvested fully red-ripe1 and packed 2-layers deep in cartons of 20-pound capacity. Taking advantage of the attractive red color and retention of firmness of the cultivar, researchers at the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS), Univ. of Florida have accumulated data which indicate machine-harvestable red ripe fruit without excessive damage, the possibility of portable field packing units, and high consumer acceptance and/or preference. As a result of this continuing program, retail produce markets may soon display high quality winter tomatoes more like those “grandma used to grow.”
Abstract
Broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber, pepper, and muskmelon were displayed (a) in direct sun, (b) in the sun under intermittent mist, (c) in the shade under intermittent mist, (d) in the shade, and (e) on ice at a simulated roadside market for 1-day intervals. In addition, some produce was precooled prior to display. Either ice or the shade under mist treatment was effective in reducing weight loss during display, particularly for broccoli and cauliflower. The prime factor involved in differences in weight loss among crops or between cultivars of the same crop seemed to be the surface area to volume ratio. Precooling prior to display slightly reduced the weight loss for cucumbers and muskmelons but had no effect on the other commodities.
Abstract
Melons (Cucumis melo) of 3 cultivars (‘Gold Star’, ‘Saticoy’, and ‘Superstar’) were stored at 5° or 12.5°C for 2, 5, or 9 days and at 20° for 2 and 5 days. ‘Gold Star’ and ‘Superstar’ deteriorated less in storage than ‘Saticoy’. In general, levels of fructose and glucose decreased with an increase in storage time and temperature. The fructose : glucose ratio increased with storage. No change was detected in soluble solids content (SSC) or in sucrose concentration. Sensory evaluations of stored (7 days at 5° or 12.5°) vs. freshly harvested melons showed no difference in texture, flavor, off-flavor, sweetness, or overall acceptability. SSC and sucrose content correlated well with the latter 4 attributes only in ‘Gold Star’ melons.
Abstract
The nitrite level of carrot juice at 20°C increased rapidly for several hours when bacterial levels were above 106 cells per ml of juice. When juice was held at 20°C, nitrite cone began to decline after 16 hours, although there was no decrease in bacterial population. No increase in nitrite occurred when bacterial growth was prevented by holding the juice at 5°C or by adding potassium dehydroacetate. However, nitrite was produced at 5°C when the bacterial level was raised to 108 cells per ml.
Maleic hydrazide (MH)-treated and untreated (control) onion (Allium cepa L.) bulbs were stored for up to 20 weeks at 0, 15, or 30C with relative humidities (RH) of 40% or 60%. MH and RH had minimal effect on sugars and organic acids in inner or outer scale leaves that were analyzed at S-week intervals. Concentrations of fructose, glucose, and total sugars were higher in inner than outer leaves of the bulb, while the reverse was true for sucrose. Total sugars, glucose, and fructose decreased and sucrose increased with higher storage temperature. Total sugars and glucose decreased with increased storage duration. Malic acid concentration was greater in the outer leaves while citric acid levels were higher in inner leaves. Malic acid increased in onion bulbs during storage while citric acid levels were not influenced by storage duration. Total acids showed little difference across temperatures, due to the concurrent increase in citric acid and decrease in malic acid at 30C.
Abstract
A method was developed for measuring the force necessary to rupture pods of Southern peas. The combined responses of single sections from each of 10 pods was shown to be adequate to overcome natural variations. Significant differences were observed between cultivars as maturity advanced. Certain cultivars appeared to increase in toughness from the immature to the intermediate stage of maturity. Spray applications of ascorbic or abscisic acid to Southern pea plants had no apparent effect on pod rupturing force for up to 4 days after application. Pea volume and color also changed with maturity and time after spraying.
Abstract
Two cultivars and 2 experimental chilling-tolerant lines of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) were harvested mature-green and stored for 15 days at 5°, 20°, and 35°C with or without the introduction of ethylene; portions of the high and low temperature samples were moved to 20° for an additional 10 days. Samples were analyzed for firmness, sugars, and acids. Fruit of the chilling-tolerant tomato lines were firmer than the commercial cultivars in all temperature treatments. Ethylene enhanced softening in the chilling-sensitive cultivars only at 20°, while the chilling-tolerant lines showed an effect only at 35°. The chilling-tolerant lines appeared to be more heat-tolerant than the sensitive cultivars. Sugar and organic acid analyses were not as clear-cut, often revealing a tendency for the cherrysized fruit to behave similarly to each other and different from the normal-sized fruit. The chilling-tolerant lines held at 5° or moved from 5° to 20° had lower monosaccharide levels than the corresponding sensitive cultivars. This also was true when fruit were moved from 35° to 20°. ‘New Yorker’ tomato had low levels of malate after exposure to 35°, which resulted in a high citrate/malate ratio not evident in the other 3 cultivars. Phosphoric acid levels were higher in the chilling-tolerant tomato fruit and increased with increasing storage temperature. Line 281 deviated from the other 3 cultivars in that, in general, acids increased and sugars decreased with increasing storage temperature.
Abstract
Supermarket sales of ‘Florida MH-1’ tomatoes which had been harvested fully red-ripe were compared with those of ‘Floradel’ tomatoes which had been harvested at the pink stage. The two lots of tomatoes were handled in the same manner. Customers preferred the red-ripe fruit over the pink. This preference became more pronounced during the 14 shopping days included in the test.
Abstract
Juice made from carrots stored at 20, 25, 30 or 35°C for 0,2,4 or 8 days contained negligible amounts of nitrite when sampled immediately. The bacterial populations were higher in juice made from carrots stored for longer periods and at the higher temperatures. Juices incubated at 35°C for 4 hours accumulated nitrite in amounts that tended to correspond to the bacterial populations in the fresh juices.
Customers take some risk when they buy plants, and the emotions they experience from that purchase are important indications of whether they will return to buy again. Previous research by Dennis et al. showed that regret, a negative emotion, caused consumer switching behavior by their intentions to either buy an alternative product, purchase products from an alternative retailer, or switch out of gardening entirely. What happens when things go right? Customer satisfaction has been the metric businesses use to quantify success in customer retention. If customers who regret the purchase switch, do happy customers return to buy again? This research investigated the role of customer satisfaction, delight (a positive emotion), and prior plant knowledge on repurchase intentions. An Internet survey with 659 flowering plant purchasers throughout the U.S. was conducted in Sept. 2004 to examine the initial purchase and the actual performance of the plant following purchase.
Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling with LISREL software. Results showed that customer satisfaction level and delight were not affected by prior plant knowledge. Satisfaction level did not affect repurchase intentions, but customer delight did. Results were consistent with existing literature, indicating that greater emphasis should be placed on delighting consumers, rather than merely satisfying them.