COLD STORAGE

Cold Storage and Controlled Atmosphere

An apple staying as firm at the end of the season as it was on harvest day comes down to how storage is set up.

An apple is still alive after harvest: it respires, produces ethylene and keeps softening. The job of cold storage is not to stop that process but to slow it in a controlled way. At MOONFRUIT this is done in controlled-atmosphere rooms.

In controlled-atmosphere storage, oxygen and carbon dioxide levels are held at variety-specific values alongside temperature. Lowering oxygen slows respiration, so firmness, acidity and aroma hold for far longer.

Controlled Atmosphere

Oxygen and carbon dioxide managed alongside temperature.

Same-Day Pre-Cooling

Field heat pulled down without delay.

Firmness All Season

Harvest freshness held to the end of the season.

Lot-Level Records

Orchard, date and room conditions all traceable.

Plain Cold Storage vs Controlled Atmosphere

Conventional cold storage only lowers temperature. That is enough for a few months, but towards the end of the season loss of firmness and a mealy texture become obvious.

In controlled-atmosphere rooms the gas composition is managed alongside temperature, so fruit can stay close to harvest freshness into April and May. That is what lets export programmes run to the end of the season.

How the Process Works

Fruit is pre-cooled on the day of harvest; field heat is pulled down quickly to slow respiration. It is then placed into rooms by variety and lot.

Once a room is filled it is sealed and brought to its target gas composition. Temperature, oxygen, carbon dioxide and humidity are monitored through the season and corrected on deviation.

From Storage to Dispatch

When an order comes in, the relevant room is opened and the fruit goes onto the optical grading line, where size, colour and quality class are separated. Fruit that has drifted out of specification during storage is removed at this stage.

Packed fruit is loaded straight into a reefer vehicle. The cold chain is not broken between store and truck.

Traceability

Every lot is recorded with the orchard it came from and its harvest date. Storage duration and room conditions are tied to that record.

A dispatched pallet can therefore be traced backwards, and a buyer's question can be answered at lot level.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long can apples be kept in cold storage?

It depends on variety and room conditions. In controlled-atmosphere rooms, varieties such as Fuji and Granny Smith largely hold their firmness to the end of the season, into April and May.

Do you offer storage for third-party fruit?

Our capacity primarily serves our own supply programme. Depending on available capacity we can review requests — just get in touch.

Does stored fruit really stay fresh?

Controlled atmosphere slows respiration, so firmness, acidity and aroma are preserved. Out-of-specification fruit is additionally removed at the grading stage before dispatch.

Contact us about storage and supply.

Get in touch to plan regular supply through the season.