Critical Storage Temperatures to Avoid for Certain Fruits and Vegetables

Critical Storage Temperatures to Avoid for Certain Fruits and Vegetables

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With the cost of food as high as it is, and to preserve the taste and nutritional benefit of vegetables and fruits, it is important to know how long food will keep its taste, texture and nutritional value using the available storage methods at home: the refrigerator, freezer, on the counter or canned. The table below lists the estimated storage life, for best quality, for various fruits, vegetables and products from these for each of the home storage methods. Canned and frozen fruit, vegetables and products may be safe beyond these dates if their packaging is intact and the temperatures were maintained; but they are likely to show degradation in text, appearance and texture.

This chart assumes that you started with ripe, but not over fruit fruit and vegetables that were not bruised, moldy, cut open or otherwise damaged. See the explanation at the bottom of the page, following the chart for more details of assumed storage conditions.

Finally, this chart is a work in progress; it is constantly being tweaked and refined, as new varieties of fruit and vegetables enter the marketplace, bring enhanced storage properties. The chart is a combination of research and my own 50 years of experience with home preserving... and there are a LOT of fruits, vegetables and forms of storage here!

Related pages

• Curing Vegetables to Improve Shelf-life - Several vegetables benefit from post-harvest curing.
• Specific Guidance for Handling Certain Vegetables and Fruits - see this page for detailed information about storing apples, garlic, onions, peppers, potatoes, pumpkins, tomatoes and winter squash,

 

 

Critical Temperatures to Avoid for Certain Fruits and Vegetables

All fruits and vegetables have a 'critical temperature' below which undesirable and irreversible reactions or 'chill damage' takes place. Carrots for example blacken and become soft, and the cell structure of potatoes is destroyed. The storage temperature always has to be above this critical temperature. One has to be careful that even though the thermostat is set at a critical temperatures for various fruits and vegetables.

temperature above the critical temperature, the thermostatic oscillation in temperature does not result in storage temperature falling below the critical temperature. Even 0.5°C below the critical temperature can result in chill damage. Table 1 gives the

	Temperature °C	Relative humidity %	Maximum storage time recommended (ASHRAE handbook 1982)	Storage time in cold stores for vegetables in tropical countries
Apple	0-4	90-95	2-6m	-
Beetroot	0	95-99	-	-
Cabbage	0	95-99	5-6m	2m
Carrots	0	98-99	5-9m	2m
Cauliflower	0	95	2-4w	1w
Cucumber	10-13	90-95
Eggplant	8-10	90-95
Lettuce	1	95-99
Leeks	0	95	1-3m	1m
Oranges	0-4	85-90	3-4m
Pears	0	90-95	2-5m
Pumpkin	10-13	70-75
Spinach	0	95	1-2w	1w
Tomatoes	13-21	85-90

ref: http://www.appropedia.org/Cold_storage_of_fruits_and_vegetables_(Practical_Action_Brief)

 

Freezing Injury

Temperatures that are too low can be just as damaging as those too high. Freezing will occur in all commodities below 32°F. Whether injury occurs depends on the commodity. Some can be repeatedly frozen and thawed without damage, while others are ruined by one freezing. Table 1 shows the highest freezing point for most fruits and vegetables. Table 3 lists susceptibility to freezing injury. Produce that is likely to be injured by one freezing is classified as "most susceptible." The "moderately susceptible" produce will recover from one or two freezings. Produce which is "least susceptible" can survive several freezings without injury.
Injury from freezing temperatures can appear in plant tissues as loss of rigidity, softening and water soaking. Injury can be reduced if the produce is allowed to warm up slowly to optimum storage temperatures, and if it is not handled during the thawing period. Injured produce should be marketed immediately, as freezing shortens its storage life.

 

Chilling Injury

Fruits and vegetables that require warmer storage temperatures (40 to 55°F) can be damaged if they are subjected to near freezing temperatures (32°F). . Both time and temperature are involved in chilling injury. Damage may occur in a short time if temperatures are considerably below the danger threshold, but some crops can withstand temperatures a few degrees into the danger zone for a longer time.Cooler temperatures interfere with normal metabolic processes. Injury symptoms are varied and often do not develop until the produce has been returned to warmer temperatures for several days. Besides physical damage, chilled produce is often more susceptible to disease infection. The table below lists susceptible fruits and vegetables,  The effects of chilling injury are cumulative in some crops. Low temperatures in transit, or even in the field shortly before harvest, add to the total effects of chilling that might occur in storage.

Crops such as basil, cucumbers, eggplants, pumpkins, summer squash, okra, and sweet potatoes are highly sensitive to chilling injury. Moderately sensitive crops are snap beans, muskmelons, peppers, winter squash, tomatoes, and watermelons. (8) These crops may look sound when removed from low temperature storage, but after a few days of warmer temperatures, chilling symptoms become evident: pitting or other skin blemishes, internal discoloration, or failure to ripen. Tomatoes, squash, and peppers that have been over-chilled may be particularly susceptible to decay such as Alternaria rot.

http://www.umext.maine.edu/onlinepubs/htmpubs/4135.htm

 

These products can be iced.	These items are damaged by direct contact with ice.
Artichokes Asparagus Beets Broccoli Cantaloupes Carrots Cauliflower Endive Green Onions Leafy Greens Radishes Spinach Sweet Corn Watermelon	Strawberries Blueberries Raspberries Tomatoes Squash Green Beans Cucumbers Garlic Okra Bulb Onions Romaine Lettuce Herbs

 

 

Places around the home that are suitable to store some vegetables and fruit.

Figure - Areas in a house that could be used for storage.

Cold basement storage room

(Cool, moist 33°F-40°F)

Potatoes

Pears

Apples

Unheated Cellar

(Cool, moist 35°F-40°F)

Pumpkins, winter squash,

ripening tomatoes

Basement Room with Furnace

(Warm, dry 55°F-60°F)

Apples,

pears

Root crops,

potatoes

Basement Storage Room

(Cold 32°F-40°F) Window Well

Cool dry-onions,

canned goods

Extra refrigerator

Unheated Room

(25°F-50°F)

Chancey places for food storage

Attic; hot, dry to in extra cold weather

very cold, dry

Curing onions,

drying herbs

 

 

References:

1. http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/store/csu_storage.pdf
2. http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/store/ksu_cupboard.pdf
3. http://cru.cahe.wsu.edu/CEPublications/eb1326/eb1326.pdf

 

 

 

Canning Books, Supplies and Accessories

These are my favorite essential canning tools, books and supplies. I've been using many of these for over 50 years of canning! The ones below on this page are just the sampling of. my preferred tools. but you can find much more detailed and extensive selections on the pages that are linked below.

• Vacuum Foodsealers for freezing, dried foods, and refrigerated foods - the FoodSaver line
• Selecting a KitchenAid mixer and attachments for home canning
• Steam Juicers
• Strainers, pit removers, seed-skin-stem removers, jelly strainers, etc. All types, makes and prices (from $19 to $350)
• Cherry pitters reviews, prices and ordering
• Food dehydrators - easy and fast to dry your own fruits, veggies, sun-dried tomatoes, etc.