Handling and Storing Fruits and Vegetables at Home

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Handling and Storing Fruits and Vegetables at
Home
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Guidelines for Storing Produce

• Harvest fruits and vegetables at optimum maturity
  for best storage. Only a few fruits ripen after
  harvest.
• Use produce that is free from evidence of disease
  or severe insect damage.
• Avoid cutting or bruising.
• Leave an inch of stem on most vegetables.
• Store late-maturing varieties those suited for
  storage.

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Plant Biology

• Fruits and vegetables come from all parts of a
  plant
• Seeds and pods peas, beans
• Bulbs - onions
• Stems celery, rhubarb
• Leaves leafy greens
• Roots tubers potatoes, sweet potatoes

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Life of a Plant
Development Breakdown Death


Growth _ _ _ _
_ _ _____Maturation
_ _ Ripening_ _ _
pea
summer squash
_ _ _ _Senescence
apple
pear
tomato
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Is it a fruit or a vegetable?

• These fruits are most commonly consumed as if
  they were vegetables cucumber, tomato, eggplant
  and avocado.
• And rhubarb, a vegetable, is most commonly
  consumed as if it were a fruit!

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Postharvest Handling of Produce

• Harvested fruits and vegetables are living
  structures.
• Respiration
• Glucose O2 CO2 H2O Heat
• Transpiration
• Tissues lose water as they breathe

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Postharvest Respiration
Climacteric respiration
Non-climacteric respiration
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Fruit Respiration Patterns

• Climacteric fruits exhibit a burst of respiration
  as senescence begins. This burst of respiration
  is triggered by the plant hormone ethylene.
  (apples, avocadoes, bananas, pears, peaches,
  tomatoes)
• Non-climacteric fruits exhibit a decline in
  respiration through ripening and senescence.
• (blueberries, cherries, citrus, cucumbers,
  grapes, pineapple, strawberries)

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Quality Temperature

• Refrigeration slows respiration, extending shelf
  life and preserving quality. The right
  temperature can maintain the proper starch-sugar
  balance.
• Sweet Corn Peas sugar is desired in these
  crops warm temperatures allow sugar to be
  converted to starch ? store cool (38ºF)
• Potatoes starch is desired cold temperatures
  allow breakdown of starch to sugar ? store warm
  (52º F)

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Chill Injury

• Refrigerating some fruits and vegetables
  (tomatoes, sweet potatoes, bananas), causes chill
  injury.
• Signs of chill injury are pitting of the skin
  (eggplant, tomatoes), browning of the flesh
  (avocadoes, bananas, sweet potatoes), and
  water-soaked areas (cucumbers).
• Refrigeration causes
• toxic products to accumulate
• in the tissue, and cells die.

Store these crops at room temperature for best
quality.
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Quality Water Content

• Maintaining tissue moisture levels is important
  for quality.
• Maintain the natural waxy cuticle an edible
  wax is applied to tomatoes, cucumbers, citrus
  fruits, apples and turnips.
• Package to maintain moisture
• Lower the temperature to reduce respiration and
  transpiration water losses.

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Induce Ripening with Ethylene

• Situation Climacteric fruits like bananas and
  apples will ripen if exposed to ethylene.
• Avocadoes, bananas, pears and other fruits can be
  forced to go through some changes associated with
  ripening by exposing them to ethylene gas.
• At home, hasten ripening of fruits by enclosing
  them in a paper bag!

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Preventing Disease During Storage

• Most fruits and vegetables will resist disease as
  long as the skin is intact.
• Before storage, carefully inspect produce for
  cuts, bruises and signs of decay.
• Maintaining the correct moisture level is also
  important.
• ? Do not attempt to preserve damaged produce!

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Successful Storage Begins in the Garden

• Harvest early in the day, but after dew is gone
• Gently remove soil
• Sort produce
• Wash, if necessary, and dry

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Maximizing Storage Life

• Maintain moisture but not too much!
• Remove diseased produce
• Store at ideal temperature avoid temperature
  extremes
• Cold moist 32F-40F 95 humidity (apples,
  broccoli, spinach)
• Cold dry 32F-40F 65 humidity(onions,
  garlic)
• Cool and dry 50F-60F 60 humidity (winter
  squash, pumpkins)
• ? See Storing Fruits and Vegetables from the Home
  Garden (UWEX A3823)

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Storage Compatibility

• Beware of strong odors dont store cut onions
  near apples or potatoes
• Ethylene-producing fruits can damage other
  produce dont store apples near lettuce,
  asparagus, beans
• Humidity and temperature requirements can vary

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Building a Storage Area

• Outdoor storage in-garden storage, mounds or
  pits, or buried containers
• Indoor storage basement, cellar, attic.you
  choose!
• ? See Storing Vegetables and Fruits at Home
  (Washington State EB1326)

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Safety First!

• Avoid foodborne illness with careful handling
• Purchase undamaged produce
• Purchase cut produce only if surrounded by ice
  and kept cold
• Bag fruits and vegetables separately from meat
  and poultry
• Wash all produce before eating or preparing
• Use clean cutting boards and utensile

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WashFor Safety

• Wash hands and surfaces well
• Rinse all produce under running water do not use
  soap
• Scrub the surface of melons, potatoes, and
  thick-skinned produce items
• Gently rinse berries
• Remove outer leaves of leafy greens
• Remove tops of carrots and beets, and stems,
  where appropriate

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Safety Tips Questions

• Avoid sprouted seeds
• Avoid unpasteurized juices
• Avoid cut melons held at room temperature
• Wash bagged produce, just for insurance
• Refrigerate all leftovers

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