Effects of Storage Temperature and Humidity on Loss of Weight by Fruit

Moisture evaporates continuously from fruits during handling and storage. Under some conditions, the loss may be great enough to cause the commodity to shrivel and to impair the flavor and lower the market quality. The rate of evaporation depends upon the nature of the commodity, the elapsed time since harvest, and the temperature, relative humidity, and rate of movement of the surrounding air. The present work was initiated to study the relationship between moisture loss of fruit and vapor pressure deficit, and to obtain information on losses from commodities not previously studied. The data presented should be useful to operators of commercial fruit storage houses. The effects of the relative humidity of the storage rooms on softening and loss of weight of the stored fruit are shown quantitatively. The data emphasize the importance of keeping the relative humidity of fruit storage rooms as high as possible, consistent with other factors which must be considered in good storage practice.