RIPENING, STORAGE, AND HANDLING OF APPLES 61 



ticed. In common storage late picking will give not only better 

 flavored fruit but also fruit in a firmer condition throughout the 

 storage period. 



MOVING THE FRUIT TO STORAGE 



It is of fundamental importance that apples intended for cold- 

 storage holding be moved to the storage rooms as soon as possible 

 after picking. As was pointed out in Part II, 1 day at 70° F. will re- 

 sult in as much softening in most varieties as will 10 days at 32°. 

 Temperatures of 60° to 70° often prevail at picking time, so a 

 delay of a week or 10 days in getting the fruit into storage will 

 often decrease the holding period two to three months. The delay 

 between time of picking and the placing of the fruit in cold storage 

 should be reduced as much as possible. 



HOLDING CONDITIONS IN COLD STORAGE 



After the fruit reaches the storage rooms, it should be cooled as 

 promptly as possible. Sufficient refrigeration should be available 

 to reduce the temperature of the fruit to from 30° to 32° F. within 

 two or three days of the time it is placed in storage. There is no 

 possibility of cooling the fruit too rapidly, and the ripening proc- 

 esses are not delayed until the temperature of the fruit is actually 

 reduced. 



After being cooled, apples from most sections of the United States 

 should be held at 30° to 32° F. An exception should be made to 

 apples grown in the Pajaro Valley of California (7), since storage of 

 this fruit at 35° to 38° is necessary to prevent one type of internal 

 browning or breakdown. Apples from all other, sections of the 

 United States, however, generally give best results if held at 30° 

 to 32°. 



A humidity of about 85 to 88 per cent saturated is ideal for the 

 apple-storage rooms. This is sufficiently high to prevent shrivel- 

 ing in the apples. At humidities higher than 85 per cent mold 

 growth may develop, although a slight mold on the boxes and 

 barrels is not harmful. 



The length of time apples can be held successfully in cold storage 

 will vary with the variety. Figures 10 and 11 show about how much 

 time different varieties require to reach full eating soft condition 

 at 32° F. It is apparent that the better keeping varieties, such as 

 Winesap and Yellow Newtown, can be held in firm condition until 

 June, making it possible to have apples available every month in 

 the year. 



To hold apples in cold storage successfully, it is essential that the 

 fruit be well matured when picked, be moved promptly to cold stor- 

 age, be cooled quickly and held at a Ioav temperature, and be removed 

 from storage when the variety has reached full eating soft condition. 

 After they reach this condition, apples rapidly deteriorate in flavor 

 and appearance. 



SUMMARY OF PART III 



The commercial apple crop of the United States is handled largely 

 in air-cooled storage houses which depend on ventilation with cold 



