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



begin to lose flavor and the bright attractive appearance characteristic 

 of the fresh fruit. The stems may also dry out noticeably, especially 

 if the relative humidity is low. Color changes and decay can be 

 retarded by the use of carbon dioxide gas in transit (&£). " In fact, 

 the treatment has proved to be so beneficial in this respect that it is 

 now being used commercially for shipments of cherries from the 

 West and Northwest to eastern markets. 



The sweating discussed on page 10 is particularly troublesome on 

 cherries, because of the dull appearance that it produces on the fruit 

 when displayed for sale soon after removal from iced cars. 



Coconuts 



(Temperature, 32° to 35° F. ; relative humidity, 80 to 85 percent) 



Coconuts are best stored at 32° to 35° F. and can be held satisfac- 

 torily within that range for 1 to 2 months. 



Cranberries 



(Temperature, 36° to 40° F. ; relative humidity, 85 to 90 percent) 



A large part of the cranberry crop is held at the bog every year 

 until wanted for Thanksgiving and the Christmas holidays. When 

 so held it is usually kept either in common (air-cooled) storage or in 

 artificially refrigerated warehouses. The storage period is usually 

 not longer than about 3 months and for that length of time the range 

 from 36° to 40° F. (whether obtained in air-cooled storage or under 

 artificial refrigeration) has been found to be the most desirable. 

 Occasional lots of poorly colored fruit may be held at 45° to 50° for a 

 few weeks in order to permit more rapid coloring than would occur 

 at lower temperatures. Storage for more than about 4 months, in 

 the range from 36° to 40°, is not satisfactory because of the common 

 occurrence of end rot, a fungus disease, which can develop at low 

 temperatures (102) . Shrinkage of the berries as a result of water loss 

 is also a limiting factor. Further facts that need to be kept in mind 

 are that keeping quality depends to some extent on the maturity of 

 the fruit, that some varieties keep better than others, and that there 

 may be a difference in keeping quality from year to year in crops 

 from the same bog. 



Cranberries for long-time storage are best held "in the chaff' in 

 the picking crates as they come from the field. Thus handled they 

 keep better than if sorted and cleaned previous to storage. 



Cleaned and sorted cranberries can safely be stored at the market 

 for 5 or 8 weeks if held at a temperature of 32° F., but fruit held for 

 a longer time at that temperature is likely to develop a "low-temper- 

 ature break-down." Berries in this condition are "rubbery" when 

 pressed ^etween the fingers, the flesh is permeated with red pigment 

 from the skin, and some of the natural luster has disappeared. Such 

 berries closely resemble those that have been frozen. Fruit held at 

 3o° to 40° is less likely to discolor and become rubbery, but if it has 

 been cleaned and sorted it is more likely to suffer from decay than 

 if held at 32°. 



(See 4, 20.) 



