How to manage citron peel color

Citrons originated in northeast India-southwest China,?but have been grown in the Mediterranean region for?thousands of years and in tropical America for hundreds?of years. Different varieties of citron are used medicinally?in Asia, in the baking industry in Europe and North America?and as an item of religious ritual (?etrog?) in Israel and?among Jews all over the world. The retail price of a single?etrog citron can reach USD 100, depending on variety and?quality, which is determined preharvest by fruit shape and?postharvest by peel color; internal condition is not a quality?factor. Green peel color, which is desired by some consumers,?is preserved postharvest by dipping fruit in gibberellin solutions or by holding the fruit in plastic bags. Yellow?peel color is desired by other consumers and is promoted?postharvest by exposure to ethylene gas or by dipping fruit?in copper solutions. Citrons turn orange upon senescence,?which is accelerated by chilling injury (CI) in storage. A 3d?exposure to 16-18 ?C before storage at temperatures of?11 ?C or less for 4 months protected against CI and against?excess orange color development. Postharvest CO2 concentrations?in microperforated storage bags did not affect peel?coloration. The different varietal responses of etrog citrons?to postharvest treatment correlated with the degree of?genetic relatedness among the varieties. ? SourcePOSTHARVEST MANAGEMENT OF CITRON (Citrus medica?L.) PEEL COLORKlein JD1, Raz Shalev Y1, Fallik E1 & Cohen S21ARO Volcani Center, Rishon LeZion, Israel; 2Insitute forAgriculture according to the Torah, Yad Binyamin, Israel;e-mail: vcjosh@agri.gov.ilInternational Citrus Congress 2016 1st picture, etrog, by?citruspages.free.fr2nd picture,?Citrus medica var. sarcodactylis, "Buda fingers" by citricas.com?