FARM STORAGES FOR APPLES 7 



in New England is 32^ F. Apples freeze at a temperature of 28°-29° F. : therefore 

 a temperature of 32° F. is adequate to retard the ripening processes within prac- 

 tical limits and yet allow a margin of safety if the storage temperature should 

 drop a few degrees. Furthermore, cold pockets may develop in some remote 

 parts of the storage room where the temperature may be lower than that indicated 

 by the thermometer. 



Effect of storing Mcintosh apples at modified temperatures 



Mcintosh apples that are to be held in cold storage are commonly picked while 

 slightly immature and are consequently "green" in flavor. When these apples 

 are stored immediately at 32° F., development of the normal flavor is checked 

 and on removal from storage they lack that high quality which is characteristic 

 of a well-ripened Mcintosh. 



Recent experiment? at the Massachusetts Station indicate that, when this variety 

 is to be held in storage not later than January first, a higher initial storage tem- 

 perature will result in better eating quality than when apples are held at 32° F. 

 continuously. In these experiments the storage was held at 45° F. during the 

 ten-day harvesting period and for five days thereafter. At the end of this time 

 the temperature was reduced about two degrees each day until 32° F. was reached. 

 Apples stored according to this system ripened more rapidly than those held at 

 32° F. continuously, as shown by the graph in Figure 2. Consequently, this 

 method of storage is not recommended for apples that are to be held after Jan- 

 uary 1, but is recommended for Mcintosh apples that are to be sold before that 

 •date, provided maximum quality is desired. 



140 



130 



2.0 



100 



8.0 



10 



QO 



SEPT OCT NOV DE.C JAN FEB MAR APR 

 Figure 2. Rate of Ripening of Apples in Various Types of Storages, as Indicated by Pressure Test. 



