Post-Harvest Practices
After harvest, fruit is brought to the packing facility. While all suppliers prepare their fruit for shipping, post-harvest handling practices vary by supplier. Read on for a general post-harvest guide, and for the full story, talk to your supplier about how they handle California peaches, plums and nectarines.
Cooling
When fruit arrives at the packing facility, it must first be cooled down. Fresh-picked fruit can have a core temperature as high as 95°F (35°C). Cooling it down will slow the ripening process. Fruit can by cooled by being run through chilled water, which is called hydro-cooling, cooled in a cold holding room, or via forced-air cooling, in which the sides and tops of the bins are covered and large fans pull cold air through the bins.
Packing
Once the fruit is cooled down, it is placed on a packing line, where it will be placed into the desired pack style as requested by the retail or foodservice customer. On the way, it is sized, sorted, and checked for quality. It often has a PLU sticker applied. Each finished container is labeled with important information about the fruit inside. The fruit containers are then placed on pallets in preparation for transportation via refrigerated truck to ensure that the cold chain is maintained all the way to the destination.
Other Post-Harvest Handling
Pre-Conditioned fruit
Also called “conditioned” or “pre-ripened” fruit, the scientifically-based pre-conditioning process is designed to increase fruit’s market life and reduce its susceptibility to chilling injury, including mealiness and flesh browning, when stored at warehouse cooler temperatures.
In the basic pre-conditioning procedure, fruit is cooled to 68°F (20°C) immediately after harvest, then packed and held at that temperature with controlled humidity for 36 to 48 hours, depending on the variety. After holding, the fruit is cooled to 34°F (1.1°C) to stop the ripening process in preparation for shipping.
Each fruit variety has a unique response to pre-conditioning, and cultural practices and conditions, as well as the exact protocol implemented, can impact the end result. Talk to your supplier to learn more about their pre-conditioning process.