Russeting or russetting is an abnormality of

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in partic ...

skin which manifests in russet-colored (brownish) patches that are rougher than healthy skin. It is a common feature in

apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus '' Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancest ...

s and

pear Pears are fruits produced and consumed around the world, growing on a tree and harvested in the Northern Hemisphere in late summer into October. The pear tree and shrub are a species of genus ''Pyrus'' , in the Family (biology), family Rosacea ...

s. Russeting is typically an undesirable trait, which reduces the storage life of fruits and makes their appearance unattractive to consumers, although some cultivars, so-called

russet apple Russet apples are varieties and cultivars of apples that regularly exhibit russeting, partial or complete coverage with rough patches of greenish-brown to yellowish-brown colour. While russeting is generally an undesirable trait in modern cultiv ...

s, are appreciated for the feature.

Causes

In apples and pears, russet results from micro-cracking of the

cuticle A cuticle (), or cuticula, is any of a variety of tough but flexible, non-mineral outer coverings of an organism, or parts of an organism, that provide protection. Various types of "cuticle" are non- homologous, differing in their origin, structu ...

, the outer epidermal layer of the fruit. The cuticle is a natural waterproof barrier composed of a polymerized cutin matrix embedded with waxes, which protects the fruit from outside stresses, and helps maintain post-harvest preservation. When the cuticle cracks, a corky suberized layer is formed on the fruit skin. Apples are particularly susceptible to russet. Many naturally-occurring varieties exhibit the feature consistently, while other cultivars may develop russet due to environmental stresses. As a result, cuticular structure is impaired, leading to reduced strength of the peel, which impacts handling and post-harvest processing. Russeting and cuticular cracks may accelerate the development of flesh browning due to oxidation, as well as softening of internal tissue due to the loss of an external support.

Gallery

Image:Egremont Russet Apple.jpg, An Egremont Russet apple, almost completely covered in russeting File:Conference pear 2017 C1.jpg, Conference pear

References

Plant physiology {{botany-stub

Causes

Gallery

See also

References