Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Storage of Fresh Produce
Storage of Fresh Produce
S
toring produce at the proper temperature is critical to obtaining the longest shelf-life. Table 1 provides the optimal
storage temperature and shelf-life for each commodity. If a crop is stored at higher than ideal temperatures, the shelf-
life will be reduced. Similarly, if a crop is stored at a lower than ideal temperature, freezing or chilling injury could
compromise the shelf-life.
At times, even when crops have the same ideal storage temperature, they should not be stored together. Some crops
(mainly true fruits) produce high levels of ethylene, the ripening hormone. Ethylene can compromise the quality and
reduce the shelf-life of crops by causing bitterness, softening, discoloration and stem detachment. Moreover, onions and
peppers can impart off-flavors to apples and potatoes, if they are stored together. Commodities also differ in ideal relative
humidity conditions. Most fruits and vegetables are composed of more than 80 percent water; therefore, the higher the
relative humidity in the air surrounding the commodity during storage, the longer the shelf-life. The ideal relative humidity
for the majority of fruits and vegetables is 90-95 percent; however, root crops, like onions and garlic, will be damaged and
decay more quickly at high humidity and should be stored at 65-75 percent relative humidity, if possible. Table 2 shows crop
storage compatibility.
Adapted from Boyhan et al., 2009. Postharvest Handling and Transportation of Fruits and Vegetables. The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Fact Sheet 100. 4 p.
This project was supported all, or in part, by a grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, United States Department of Agriculture (Award Number 2009-51110-20161) and a Tennessee Specialty Crop Block Grant (32506-09813).
Publication #FDNS-E-168-27. J.A. Harrison, F.J. Critzer and A.L. Wszelaki. February 2015. SP 768-F
The University of Georgia and Ft. Valley State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and counties of the state cooperating. Cooperative Extension, the University of Georgia Colleges of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and Family and Consumer
Sciences, offers educational programs, assistance and materials to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, age, gender or disability. An Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Organization, Committed to a Diverse Work Force.