COMMERCIAL STORAGE OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES 25 



wilting because of the rapid loss of water and should be kept where the 

 humidity is sufficiently high to prevent excessive evaporation. 



Before going into storage, beets should be topped and well sorted 

 to remove all diseased specimens and those showing mechanical injury, 

 in order to prevent undue shrinkage because of storage decay. Beets 

 may be stored in ventilated barrels or better in slat crates. Storage 

 in large bulk should be avoided. Bunch beets may be stored at 32° 

 for 10 days to 2 weeks if the leaves are free of surface moisture and 

 the bunches are not packed so as to exclude air from the tops. 



BROCCOLI (ITALIAN OR SPROUTING) 



(Temperature, 32° F.; relative humidity, 85 to 90 percent) 



Italian or sprouting broccoli does not keep well in storage and is 

 usually held for only very short periods. The best storage tempera- 

 ture is 32° F. If in good condition and stored with sufficient ventila- 

 tion between the packages, broccoli should keep satisfactorily for 

 10 days. Longer storage is undesirable because the leaves are likely 

 to discolor and the buds may drop off (35). 



CABBAGE 



(Temperature, 32° F.; relative humidity, 90 to 95 percent) 



A large percentage of the late crop of cabbage is stored and sold 

 during the winter and early spring, or until the new crop from the 

 Southern States appears on the market. If stored under proper condi- 

 tions, cabbage should keep for 3 to 4 months. The longest-keeping 

 varieties belong to the Danish Ballhead class. Cabbage is most 

 successfully held in common storage in the Northern States, where a 

 fairly uniform inside temperature from 32° to 35° F. can be main- 

 tained. Many such storage houses are to be found, principally in 

 New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Cabbage in 

 quantity usually is not held in cold storage because its value does not 

 justify the expense of handling. 



Storehouses should be insulated sufficiently to prevent freezing, for 

 although slight freezing does no harm, hard freezing is likely to cause 

 considerable loss. More ventilating capacity than is required for 

 most other vegetables should be provided to carry away the excessive 

 moisture given off by the active respiration of this product and to 

 obtain the maximum advantage of the cold night air during mild 

 weather. Cabbage wilts quickly if held under too dry storage condi- 

 tions; hence the humidity should be high enough to keep the leaves 

 fresh and turgid. Bin storage is common, the bins usually being 

 4 to 5 feet wide and 10 to even 20 feet long and about 5 feet deep. 

 They are best separated by slat partitions with 4-inch air spaces 

 between. Tiers of bins may be built as high as it is convenient to 

 elevate the cabbage. The use of slat shelves with the heads piled one or 

 two layers deep is considered the best method, but is too expensive 

 when large quantities are to be stored. 



Cabbage should be handled carefully from the field to the storage. 

 Before it is stored, the roots and all loose leaves should be trimmed 

 away, and the damaged and misshapen heads should be culled out. 

 On being removed from storage, the heads should be trimmed again 

 to remove loose and damaged leaves. 



