Fresh bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L) was collected from the producers’ field. The bitter gourds were sorted out to remove the pest affected, over matured and damaged ones in the laboratory of Post harvest Technology Division. Then, the gourd were washed with 200 ppm chlorine water (Chlorax) and the excess water wash removed by blower fan. Polypropylene of thickness 33 micron was used as packaging material and the packets were modified with different perforation (0%, 0.5%, 1.0% and 1.5% perforation) to restrict the respiration of the gourds. The experiment was laid out in CRD with three replications. Each replication of the treatments consisted of about one kilogram of bitter gourds. After packing, the bitter gourds were stored in ambient temperature. Temperature and humidity were recorded and close observations were made to record the physicochemical parameters like weight loss, rotting/decay, marketability, vitamin C and ß-carotene of the bitter gourd.
Treatments
T1 = Packet with zero perforation (sealed)
T2 = Packet with 0.5% perforation
T3 = Packet with 1.0% perforation
T4 = Packet with 1.5% perforation
T5 = Control (without packet)
Package perforation (%): The perforations on the packets were made by using a puncher machine. The number of perforations on each packet was determined using the following calculation- Area of each packet = 45 cm x 36 cm = 1620 sq cm, Diameter of each hole (dia. of puncher rod) = 0.5 cm. From these data numbers of perforations were calculated to be 42, 83 and 124 for 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5% perforation, respectively.
Firmness: Fruit firmness was measured at three regions of the flesh of each bitter gourd at different storage times, using a Digital Firmness Tester (DFT 14, Agro Technologies, France) equipped with 8 mm diameter stainless probe. Firmness value was expressed as a resistance force (kg-force/cm2) of the surface and results were expressed as N.
Shelf life (day): Shelf life of the Bitter gourds was determined by observing and judging the quality parameters like rotting, shriveling, incidence of disease, etc. with respect to storage days. It was detected when most of the bitter gourds of a treatment were still marketable.
Decay/Rotting (%): It is the percentage of the damaged bitter gourds. It was also determined by the quality parameters of the bitter gourds like rotting, shriveling, incidence of disease, etc.
Physico-chemical analysis: Vitamin C, ß-carotene and moisture content were determined for the fresh bitter gourds at 6th to 9th days of storage. Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) was determined by 2,6 – Dichlorophenol – Indophenol Visual Titration Method, ß-carotene by AOAC (Association of Official Analytical Chemists) Method and moisture content by Oven Drying method. These methods were conducted according to Ranganna (1986).