Effects of fruit size on sensory quality and soluble solid content of Citrus sinensis

Citrus sinensis fruits from Pingyuan county，Meizhou city were divided into 3 size types according to their diameters，namely the large size fruits（d﹥9.8 cm），medium size fruits（d：7.7-9.8 cm）and small size fruits （﹤7.7 cm），and the effects of fruit size on storage quality were investigated. Results indicated that with the extension of storage time，the decaying rate of large and small sizes of C. sinensis fruits were significantly higher than that of the medium size fruits；whereas the medium and small size fruits had better scores in hardness，appearance and taste after a period of storage；the soluble solid contents of the medium and small size fruits were higher than that of large fruits， especially for medium size fruits，the value exceeded 12.00%. Tests showed that the middle and small fruit had better storage quality，and 60 days was a critical day for navel orange.