Storage Temperature: Recommended range is 5 °C – 7 °C.
High Humidity: Use an air-cooler with a minimal air–product temperature differential (ΔT).
De-greening: Store only the appropriate fruit quantity relative to the chamber or ripening room capacity.
Storage Duration: Recommended period is 4 – 6 weeks.
Ventilation: Install a digitally controlled ventilation system to regulate chamber air exchange.
IMPORTANT TIPS
Rapid cooling and strict maintenance of the cold chain through all handling and distribution stages.
Monitor sugar levels at harvest (target ≈ 8 °Brix) using optical refractometers.
Use well-ventilated storage crates.
Store away from ethylene-emitting products.
De-green mandarins with 1 – 10 ppm ethylene throughout the process: - For over-ripe or sensitive varieties (Okitsu, Clausellina): 18 °C – 19 °C - For Satsuma, Marisol, Clementine varieties: 20 °C – 22 °C for about 3 days
For post-harvest pest control: apply cold treatment at 2 °C for 24 hours after first increasing fruit sugars by keeping them 1 week at 15 °C.
Keep CO₂ levels low — this helps maintain freshness.
Disinfect and wax the fruit before storage.
Prolonged storage below 5 °C causes skin splitting and brown discoloration.
Clementine varieties such as Fortune and Nova should be stored at 10 °C – 12 °C.
