The cold room storage temprature and time of fruits and vegetables is different according to different varieties of fruits and vegetables. It is related to many reasons such as: pre-cooling, quality of fruits and vegetables, varieties of fruits and vegetables, Packaging methods of fruits and vegetables, etc.
Without cold room, most fruits and vegetables will not stay fresh for more than a few days. As soon as fresh produce is harvested, it begins to deteriorate and dangerous bacteria will start to develop.
Proper storage conditions – temperature and humidity – are required to maximize storage life and maintain quality of harvested fruits and vegetables.
Fresh fruit need low temperature and high relative humidity to reduce the respiration and slow down the metabolic processes. The table below indicates optimal temperatures and moisture conditions for some common fruits and vegetables.
Storage temperature for various fruits and vegetables
1 Around 0°C: Most of the roots and leafy vegetables are cool fruits and vegetables (originally produced in temperate and frigid zones), and their suitable storage temperature is 0-2°C, not lower than 0°C. Cabbage, spinach, cauliflower, celery, carrots, peaches, grapes and apples are just picked, don’t put them in the cold storage immediately, because low temperature will inhibit the enzyme activity of them. Therefore, it is best to store these fruits and vegetables at room temperature for one day before putting them in the cold room.
2, 10°C: Like tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, lychees, bitter gourds, cowpeas, pumpkins and other vegetables are suitable stored in temperature about 10°C;
3, Above 10°C: Tropical fruits are best stored in a dark and cool place. If it must be placed in a cold storage, it should be placed in a higher temperature cold room, and the storage time should not exceed two days. The suitable storage temperature for bananas, lemons, pumpkins is 13-15°C.