Harvest maturity

January 2009 | Prepared by Stephen Tancred, Orchard Services | Future Orchards® notes and presentation

Stephen Tancred provides a detailed guide to determining apple harvest maturity for fresh market and storage. He emphasises that optimum picking timing depends on the intended market pathway: fruit for immediate sale, short-term storage and long-term storage can require different maturity targets.

The resource reviews common maturity indicators and explains why no single measure is sufficient in every situation. For fresh-market fruit, Tancred prioritises skin colour, sugar and pressure. For storage fruit, he places starch conversion first, followed by pressure, sugar and skin colour, because starch decline is an early indicator of physiological maturity while firmness is closely linked with consumer perception of texture.

Case studies from the 2008 harvest are used to connect starch and pressure readings with practical outcomes. The notes also address Pink Lady internal browning, colour development and scald risk, reinforcing that maturity decisions influence both eating quality and storage disorders.

The practical message is to start maturity testing early, understand the requirements of each variety and destination, and use several objective measures together. Harvest timing should be managed as a quality decision, not simply a calendar date.