Poststorage Behavior of Apple Fruit After Low Oxygen Storage as Influenced by Temperatures During Storage and in Transit

‘Delicious’, ‘Newtown’ and ‘Granny Smith’ apples (Malus domestica Borkh.) maintained acceptable flesh firmness and high levels of titratable acids and soluble solids after 9 months of storage in 1% 0₂ at either 0°C or 3.3°C. Low-0₂-stored ‘Delicious’ were kept at 0°C for 6 wk without developing physiological disorders before or after 8 days of ripening at 20°C. Storage at 3.3°C caused ‘Delicious’ to soften faster during 6 wk of post-storage holding plus 8 days of ripening. ‘Newtown’ apples developed flesh browning and alcohol flavor after 9 months of low 0₂ storage at 0°C. ‘Newtown’ fruit stored at 3.3°C developed only minimal incidence of flesh browning and alcohol flavor. ‘Granny Smith’ fruit were free from scald, core flush, flesh browning and alcohol flavor after low 0₂ storage, regardless of storage temperature. However, core flush and flesh browning appeared when ‘Granny Smith’ were kept for 6 wk at 0°C plus 8 days at 20°C.