optimal flavor it also extended shelf life of the so treated cut pineapple in tropical fruit juice up to 30 days when properly stored and handled in commerce fruits including pineapple papaya and mango were harvested in april 1998 these were early spring fruits usually tart fruits were washed and skinned the pineapple was cored the papaya and mango seeded then all fruits were trimmed and cut into wedges the cut fruit brix and acid were measured and were averaging at 7 9 u00b0 and 0 67 respectively thus a brix acid b a ratio of 11 8 which gave a tart taste a previously treated stored and blended tropical fruit juice was selected having a brix acid ratio of 31 4 in order to bring the combined fruit juice b a ratio to about 19 this blended juice including juice from passion fruit pineapple and guava harvested in the summer months 1997 had a sweeter character which balanced the more tart character of the fruit the expressed juices were blended filtered heat pasteurized and stored in sanitary containers under freezing conditions frozen juice was semi thawed prior to use the fruit within an hour after cutting and at a chilled temperature of about 30 u00b0 f was covered with the juice in packaging consisting of a plastic tub a plastic top seal and a plastic overlap the fruit was completely immersed in the juice which was partially frozen and slushy the packaged fruit was stored and transported in coolers at a target temperature range of 28 to 30 u00b0 f the.