Prediction of Quality Attributes of the Ruaner Pear Using Dielectric Properties During Post-Ripening Variable Temperature Frozen Storage

Fruit quality attributes interrelate with their dielectric properties, but such interrelationships in Ruaner pear during the post-ripening variable temperature frozen storage period remain uninvestigated. Five quality attributes and eight dielectric parameters were measured under two production modes. The results showed that fruit quality improved markedly, the TSS of farmer pears from 11.2% to 17.9%, while cooperative pears increased from 11.47% to 17.5%. The SSC of farmer pears increased from 8.55% to 32.51%, while cooperatives went from 14.61% to 30.14%, The WC of the farmer pears increased from 84.01% to 85.76%, while cooperative pears increased from 84.76% to 86.58%, an increase of 2.1% compared with the pears at 0 d, and farmer-stored pears exhibited better overall quality. Dielectric parameters (B and G) increased with time and showed strong correlations with quality attributes. Prediction models based on principal component analysis achieved high accuracy (R2 = 0.833). These results highlight the practical potential of using dielectric properties as a rapid, non-destructive method to evaluate fruit quality during post-ripening variable temperature frozen storage.