A Longitudinal Study Observing the Effectiveness of Conventional Preserving Methods through Mold Coverage and Rotting in Apple Slices

Throwing out old, rotten fruits are thought to cost the average person upwards of $500 peryear, often exacerbated due to lack of using effective preservation methods. 1 Currently, a lackof conclusive research exists within this area, as most research on fruit rotting or decay hasbeen observed in habitats outside of pedestrian homes. 2 To remedy this lack of knowledge,the paper investigates fruit rotting by preserving apple slices in the kitchen with the followingconventional methods: salted, vacuum sealed, boiled and unaltered for control. Four-dayinterval observations were used over a total of nine days, holding a consistent refrigeratortemperature without significant alterations in placement of the samples within the fridge,allowing us to adequately observe the level of rotting and microorganism mould growth onthe apple slices. Overall, the results show a statistically significant ( p 0.05). In addition, while no conclusive methodof fruit preservation is shown to be the most optimal in this study, several limitations areidentified, emphasized, and addressed, and future directions in furthering this study arediscussed.