North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Stephen Sadler" <Docshiva@Docshiva.org>]

People are certainly working on CO2-based storage.  It works great, but hard
to do at home and keep the CO2 from being displaced by O2 when you get
access to the food.  And a little dangerous, as I say in the last paragraph.

CO2 does like to stay low and pooled, but I don't know if the bioactivity of
the apples and the permeability of the bag would allow levels to stay high
enough to give you longer storage.  You could do an experiment and see how
it goes.

If I were to try, I think I might try a plastic-lined crate, put some dry
ice in and wait, with the lid open, for the CO2 to displace the air, and
then add my apples and close the lid.  With a chest-type box, you should be
able to grab some apples without disturbing the atmosphere.

One caution when trying any of this - CO2 is odorless and gives you no
oxygen.  You can become affected (disoriented and dizzy) by high CO2 levels
in four seconds, and unconscious in 12, maybe less.  So don't even so much
as stick your nose near a container of CO2 without taking a deep breath of
real air first and holding it in.  

Stephen Sadler, Ph.D.
USDA 9, AHS heat zone 8, 
Sacramento CA - Mediterranean climate


-----Original Message-----
From: nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Thomas Olenio
Sent: Sunday, September 11, 2005 11:19 AM
To: North American Fruit Explorers
Subject: [NAFEX] Apple Storage?

Hello All,

I understand that commerical apple storage uses a carbon dioxide  
environment.

Could a family cold room, or root cellar do this as well?

Put the bushel of apples in a lawn/leaf plastic bag, set off a  
carbondioxide bomb  in the bag (baking soda/ vinegar in 2 liter bottle),  
hold the plastic bag up to hold the CO2, remove CO2 bomb, then close  
plastic bag tightly.

Not sure if the CO2 will stay pooled in the plastic bag, or if it would  
help storage.

Anyone know?

Thanks,
Tom

-- 
============