Prickly Pears
Recommended
Conventional cooling
Dynamic Cooling
Pre-cooling
De-greening
Ripening
General Tips for Prickly Pears
| Storage temperature | Relative Humidity (RH) | Duration | Pre-cooling | Sensitivity to ethylene | Ethylene Production | Controlled Atmosphere |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Storage temperature:
6° - 8° C
|
Relative Humidity (RH):
90%-92%
|
Duration:
2-5 weeks
|
Pre-cooling:
Air cooling
|
Sensitivity to ethylene:
Low
|
Ethylene Production:
Low
|
Controlled Atmosphere:
Not recommended
|
Storage Temperature: Recommended storage temperature is 6 °C – 8 °C. |
High Humidity: Use an air cooler with a low temperature differential (ΔT) between inlet and outlet air. |
Storage Duration: Recommended period is 2 – 5 weeks. |
Controlled Atmosphere: Not recommended, as it does not significantly extend shelf life and lacks sufficient supporting research. |
Ventilation: Install a digitally controlled ventilation mechanism, based on specialized airflow design. |
Dynamic Cooling: Allows real-time monitoring and precise adjustment of all storage parameters across multiple points in the chamber. |
IMPORTANT TIPS
- Harvest fruits at full maturity.
- Monitor sugar content during harvest (12° – 17° Brix using optical refractometers).
- Pre-cool immediately after harvest if the fruit shows no skin injuries.
- Avoid temperatures below 5 °C, which can cause chilling injury.
- Maintain low CO₂ concentrations within cold-storage chambers to preserve fruit quality.