russeting

thumb|300px|right|Four pears featuring various degrees of russeting Russeting or russetting is an abnormality of fruit skin which manifests in russet-colored (brownish) patches that are rougher than healthy skin. It is a common feature in apples and pears. 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 apples, are appreciated for the feature.

==Causes== In apples and pears, russet results from micro-cracking of the cuticle, 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.