This study was carried out on the cultivar Primo of cucumber to evaluate a range of hot water temperature as a dipping method at different time to control decay and on storability of fruits during 1998-1999 and 1999-2000 seasons.
Cucumber fruits weight loss and decay percentages and pitting increased, whereas firmness and chlorophyll content were decreased with the prolongation of storage period. T.S.S. content increased till its peaks at 6 days then decreased till the end of storage period.
The results indicated that cucumber fruits immersion in hot water at 43ْC for 6 min. and 48ْC for 3 or 6 min. controlled decay without causing external heat injury. However, dipping at 53 or 58ْC hot water for 1 or 2 min. increase cucumber susceptibility to postharvest decay and resulted in heat injury characterized by well defined pitted and poor appearance. Dipping cucumber fruits in hot water treatment led to increase the percentage of weight loss, maintained fruit firmness and delayed the losses in chlorophyll during storage when compared with unheated control. Using hot water at 48ْC for 3 or 6 min. followed by 43ْC for 6 min. was the most obvious one in this regard
These results showed that hot water treatment was effective in controlling postharvest decay organisms and in maintaining physical and chemical quality and should be considered as a non-chemical control for decay during storage of cucumber fruits.