12 



CIRCULAR 2 7 8, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



Table 3. — Recommended temperature, relative humidity, and approximate length 

 of storage period for the commercial storage of fresh, dried, and frozen fruits, 

 and nuts, and the average freezing points 



Commodity 



Tempera- 



Relative 



ture 



humidity 



°F. 



Percent 



2 30 to 32 



85 to 88 



31 to 32 



80 to 85 



( 2 ) 



85 to 90 



( 2 ) 



( 2 ) 



31 to 32 



80 to 85 



31 to 32 



80 to 85 



32 to 35 



80 to 85 



36 to 40 



85 to 90 



28 to 32 



( 2 ) 



31 to 32 



80 to 85 



( 2 ) 



85 to 90 



30 to 31 



85 to 90 



31 to 32 



80 to 85 



55 to 58 



85 to 90 



45 to 48 



85 to 90 



31 to 32 



80 to 85 



45 to 50 



85 to 90 



( 2 ) 



85 to 90 



31 to 32 



80 to 85 



29 to 30 



85 to 90 



30 to 31 



85 to 90 



50 to 60 



85 to 90 



40 to 45 



85 to 90 



31 to 32 



80 to 85 



31 to 32 



80 to 85 



31 to 32 



80 to 85 



31 to 32 



80 to 85 



( 2 ) 



( 2 ) 



( 2 ) 



( 2 ) 



2 32 to 50 



65 to 75 



Approximate length of storage 

 period 



Average 

 freezing 

 point ' 



Apples 



Apricots 



Avocados 



Bananas 



Blackberries 



Cherries 



Coconuts 



Cranberries 



Dates 



Dewberries 



Grapefruit 



Grapes: 



Vinifera 



American 



Lemons 



Limes 



Logan blackberries 



Olives (fresh) 



Oranges 



Peaches 



Pears: 



Bartlett 



Fall and winter varieties 

 Pineapples: 



Mature green 



Ripe 



Plums (including prunes)... 



Quinces 



Raspberries 



Strawberries 



Dried fruits 



Frozen fruits 



Nuts 



(2) 



1 to 2 weeks.. 



( 2 ) 



(2) 



7 to 10 days.. 

 10 to 14 days.. 

 1 to 2 months. 

 1 to 3 months. 



( 2 ) 



7 to 10 days... 

 6 to 8 weeks. .. 



°F. 

 28.4 

 28.1 

 27.2 



( 3 ) 

 28.9 



(*) 

 25.5 

 27.3 

 -4.1 



3 to 6 months. 



3 to 8 weeks. _ 



1 to 4 months. 



6 to 8 weeks. . 



7 to 10 days. .. 



4 to 6 weeks. _ 



8 to 10 weeks.. 



2 to 4 weeks... 



( 6 ) 



28.4 



24.9 



27.5 

 28.1 

 29.3 

 29.5 

 28.5 

 ) 

 29.4 



28.5 



C) 



3 to 4 weeks... 



2 to 4 weeks. .. 



3 to 8 weeks 2. 

 2 to 3 months. 

 7 to 10 days... 



do 



29.1 

 29.9 

 28.0 

 28.1 

 29.9 



9 to 12 months. 

 6 to 12 months. 

 8 to 12 months. 



(•) 



1 These figures are based on previously published work by Wright (20.0 and are subject to revision when- 

 ever further investigation makes this necessary. 



2 See text. 



3 Green: Flesh, 30.2°; peel, 29.8°. Ripe: Flesh, 26.0°; peel, 29.4°. 

 * Eastern sour, 28.0°; eastern sweet, 24.7°; California sweet, 24.2°. 

 5 Flesh, 28.0°; peel, 27.4°. 



e Winter Nelis, 27.2°; Anjou, 26.9°. 



7 Persian (English) walnuts, 20.0°; pecans, 19.6°; and chestnuts (Italian), 23.8°. 



Apples 



(Temperature, 30° to 32° F. ; relative humidity, 85 to 88 percent) 



There is a wide variation in the storage quality of the different 

 varieties of apples, and of the same variety grown in different re- 

 gions. For example, Mcintosh grown in the Middle Atlantic States 

 is practically an early fall apple not suitable for more than 2 or 3 

 weeks' storage, whereas if grown in northern New York or New Eng- 

 land it can be held for as long as 4 or 5 months. Such varieties as 

 Northern Spy, Baldwin, and Rhode Island Greening grown in the 

 Cumberland-Shenandoah Valley district or in the hot, irrigated valleys 

 of the Pacific Northwest behave like fall varieties and are short-lived 

 in storage, although suitable for winter storage when grown in New 

 England, New York, Michigan, and other northern producing 

 districts. 



The keeping quality of apples in storage is also definitely related 

 to the cultural and orchard sanitation practices of the grower, who 

 alone is responsible for the production of sound, properly matured 

 fruit. To have good keeping quality, apples should be mature and 

 well colored. When they have reached this stage, they are less likely 

 to scald in storage and are in better condition generally to be held in 



