Fruits

Fruit harvesting has to be done either when the fruit is ripe if it is ready to be marketed or before it is ripe if it is to be transported or stored before marketing. Picking fruit is, of course, labor-intensive work that requires great care in handling since the fruit can be easily damaged. While the growing and marketing of fruit such as apples, pears, peaches, and berries is done on a large scale to supply the needs of the large networks of super-markets across the United States, many fruit crops are picked by the consumer. For example, in Illinois, the pick-your-own crop of strawberries has increased from 23% of the crop in 1967 to 86% in 1987. Many people grow fruit trees and berry bushes in their yards as well and benefit from the fruit they can pick by hand.

For the growers of fruit on a large scale, however, the storage of fruit is necessary to meet year-round market demands for fresh fruit. This requires that the fruit is picked before it has ripened and refrigerated until it is ready for marketing. Ideal conditions for storing apples, for example, are at 28–32°F (-2–0°C) with 90% humidity.