Post-harvest processing of custard apple (Annona squamosa L.): A review

Abstract

Custard apple being highly perishable fruit, is highly susceptible to spoilage, softens very rapidly during ripening, and becomes squashy and not easy to consume fresh. The fruit has a short shelf-life due to high respiration and ethylene production. Hence there is greater need to preserve the custard apple fruits and to process into suitable products viz., juice, jam, ice cream, milkshake etc. to minimize the post-harvest losses which further helps in value addition and in generation of a good income for a needy farmer. Therefore we attempt here to review some important aspects such as the effect of packaging material and chemical treatments on the storage and shelf life of fruit pulp including the use of modified and controlled atmosphere, processing of stored pulp into various value-added products.