Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Be gentle! Bruised fruit loses much of its appeal and marketability.
Damaged fruits are also more susceptible to storage rots, and some generate
excessive amounts of ethylene during storage. Even with mechanically har-
vested fruits, the goal is to reduce the damage as much as possible. For hand
harvesting, pick the fruit into small containers or a picking bag worn about
your waist. If you are transferring the fruit to bins, gently pour the fruit onto
the bin floor or onto the fruit already in the bin. Do not drop the fruit into the
bins.
For most fruits, cooling the fruit as quickly as possible after harvest slows
the ripening process and helps reduce storage diseases. In commercial pack-
ing houses, fruits that benefit from refrigeration are placed into large walk-in
coolers where tarps, tunnels, and fans are used to force cold air around the
fruit to cool it quickly. We will discuss some exceptions below.
If you wash your fruit or cool it with cold water during packing, make sure
that the fruit is thoroughly dry before placing it into storage. High humidity
during storage is desirable for most refrigerated fruits. Droplets and films of
water on the surface of the fruit are not.
Harvesting Pome Fruits
Determining when to harvest pome fruits is usually more difficult than with
stone fruits. 'Red Delicious' apples, for example, develop water core if allowed
to ripen on the tree. European pears are usually harvested before they are
fully ripe and allowed to ripen off the tree. The situation is especially com-
plicated if the fruit will be kept for long periods in refrigerated or controlled
atmosphere storage.
Apples
The developmental stage at which apples should be harvested depends
greatly on the variety, its intended use, and how it will be stored. Fruit that
is picked too early is typically undersized and has poor taste and texture.
Overripe apples become soft and mealy, and red varieties can develop dark,
greasy skins. Fruit that is overripe also does not store or ship well. 'Red Deli-
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