COMMERCIAL STORAGE OE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES 17 



Too low humidity is undesirable for grapes since it causes shriveling, 

 especially of the stems. Stock intended for storage should be handled 

 carefully to avoid cracking of the berries or loosening at the cap stem, 

 because such injuries allow juice to exude and thus furnish favorable 

 conditions for the beginning of decay. 



Muscadine grapes are shipped only short distances if at all and are 

 not known to be held in cold storage anywhere in commercial quan- 

 tities (1, 22). 



LEMONS 



(Temperature, 55° to 58° F.; relative humidity, 85 to 90 percent) 



From the standpoint of preventing decay (blue mold rot, green 

 mold rot, and alternaria rot) in stored lemons, the lowest temperature 

 that can be used without freezing the fruit would seem to be the most 

 desirable. The difficulty is that at low temperatures certain non- 

 parasitic troubles develop which are fully as serious as decay; among 

 these are red blotch, pitting, and membranous stain. With proper 

 humidity and at temperatures above 50° F. red blotch and pitting 

 practically never occur and membranous stain is greatly reduced. 

 The best results are usually obtained by storage at 55° to 58° in a 

 humidity of 85 to 90 percent. Under such conditions lemons can be 

 expected to hold up satisfactorily for periods of 1 month to as long as 

 4 months, depending on their maturity and condition when stored (6). 

 Tree-ripened lemons, which are yellow when picked, do not keep well 

 in storage. 



If lemons have been handled carefully they will store better than 

 if they have been injured by rough handling, because there will be 

 fewer clipper cuts, scratches, and bruises and consequently less dam- 

 age later by green mold rot and blue mold rot. The latter is able to 

 penetrate the uninjured skin of lemons, but it is likely to cause more 

 loss if the skin of the fruit is broken at numerous places. It can also 

 grow from one fruit to another in the package and for this reason is 

 frequently referred to as "blue contact rot." Air conditioning as 

 now used in some of the lemon storage houses in California furnishes 

 a means of preventing condensation of moisture on fruit and so 

 decreases the danger of decay. 



Lemons and other citrus fruits should not be stored in the same 

 rooms with dairy products because of the readiness with which the 

 latter absorb odors. Lemons in storage should be examined fre- 

 quently to avoid loss from the sudden development of decay or other 

 deterioration (6). 



LIMES 



(Temperature, 45° to 48° F.; relative humidity, 85 to 90 percent) 



Preliminary investigations with Tahiti (Persian) limes indicate 

 that fruit from a well-kept grove may be stored satisfactorily at a 

 temperature of 45° to 48° F. for as long as 8 weeks, provided that the 

 relative humidity is kept above 85 percent or the fruits wrapped 

 individually in moisture-proof wraps. Prevention of desiccation is 

 very important. For best quality, the Tahiti lime should be picked 

 while still green but after the fruit has become "full" and smooth, 

 having lost the "dimpled" appearance around the blossom end. 



Key (Mexican or Dominican) limes can be stored satisfactorily at 

 the temperatures recommended for Tahiti limes. The preferred color 

 for this variety on the markets of the United States is yellow. 



29181°— 38 3 



