Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] limitations of AC coolers

market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Market Farming

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Willie McKemie <mf AT austinfarm.org>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] limitations of AC coolers
  • Date: Wed, 17 Jan 2007 08:48:00 -0600

On Wed, Jan 17, 2007 at 08:25:17AM -0600, Bill Bradshaw wrote:
> John, Good Answer, Good Answer, we also use coolers to keep our produce as
> fresh as possible. Even if just over night. TexasBill
>
> >I think coolers are a must for most fresh market produce farms...more
> >important ultimately than any other piece of equipment on the farm. I've

I agree that walkins are the best solution; I have two. However, an
ACed room is better than nothing. Before I got my first walkin, I used
an AC to (slightly) prolong the life of peaches. I have seen, from
customers, resistance to cooling. I don't agree or understand; cooling
allows the grower to sell higher quality product than is possible
without cooling.

On quick cooling, I have tried the following on blackberries and
shelled peas: keeping a 55 gallon drum of water in the walkin and
plunging warm product for quick cooling. With both blackberries and
peas (southern), the plunging caused quality problems. It might be
worth a try on greens and other products. I put warm washed wet
spinach in plastic bags in the walkin to cool and have good results.

I have found that a thick layer, a tub 12' deep for instance, of
shelled peas will warm in the walkin rather than cool. When possible,
I place un-shelled peas in the walkin prior to shelling. Then, I
re-cool the shelled peas in layers only a couple of inches deep.

Originally I believe TxBeeFarmer asked about prolonging fruit and
vegetable shelf life. It seems he was hoping for too much. The life
of cool blackberries is only about a week; I don't keep them longer than
three days, and I prefer to sell them cool the day after picking. Most
other products, I am willing to keep a few days in the walkin, but not a
week. Excepting root crops.

--
Willie, ONWARD! Through the fog!
http://counter.li.org Linux registered user #228836 since 1995
Debian3.1/GNU/Linux system uptime 304 days 16 hours 17 minutes




Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page