Most fruits and vegetables have a very limited life after
harvest if held at normal harvesting temperatures. Postharvest
cooling rapidly removes field heat, allowing longer storage
periods. Proper postharvest cooling can: In addition to helping
maintain quality, postharvest cooling also provides marketing
flexibility by allowing the grower to sell produce at the most
appropriate time. Having cooling and storage facilities makes it
unnecessary to market the produce immediately after harvest.
This can be an advantage to growers who supply restaurants and
grocery stores or to small growers who want to assemble
truckload lots for shipment. Postharvest cooling is essential to
delivering produce of the highest possible quality to the
consumer. Although small, commercial, contractor-built cooling
rooms are available, they are often much more expensive than
owner-built structures. In addition to avoiding a substantial
amount of the construction cost, you can tailor a cooling
facility to your individual needs by desig