In the orchard the surface of the fruit with a powdery white coating that can be easily rubbed off. The coating is referred to as bloom and consists of minute scales of wax. The wax is excreted by the epidermal cells of the fruit. The wax coating helps preserve the fruit and reduce evaporation. In an article by Belding et al. (1998) they determined that ursolic acid accounted for 32 to 70% of the hydrocarbons that make up the epicuticular …
Apple Skin Russetting
Apple skin russet is light brown in color and rough to the touch. Russetting may be limited to small areas of the fruit or may cover nearly the entire fruit. During early-season, cells in the waxy layer, known as the cuticle, are not expand adequately as internal fruit tissues grow and very small cracks may develop in the fruit skin. Cells under the cracks die and cork cells form. Cultivars with thin cuticles are most likely to russet. Most cultivars …
Do apples have a natural wax on the fruit surface?
Natural wax is present on the surface of apples. It repels moisture from the fruit surface and prolongs storage life of the fruit by reducing moisture loss from the flesh. On some apple varieties, such as Empire, it often is white in color and is called a waxy bloom. …