How to Store and Preserve Fresh Peaches? Practical Methods Shared

1. Cold storage

Peaches are prone to chilling injury during low-temperature storage, and there is a risk of freezing at -1°C. Therefore, the suitable storage temperature for peaches is 0°C, and the suitable relative humidity is 90%-95%. Under these storage conditions, peaches can be stored for 3-4 weeks or longer. However, when peaches are stored at low temperature for a long time, the flavor gradually becomes bland, and long-term cold storage can cause chilling injury to the peaches, with the flesh turning brown. In particular, when the peaches are moved to a high-temperature environment for ripening, the flesh becomes dry, mealy, and soft, and the flesh around the pit turns noticeably brown. Using small plastic film packages in cold storage can extend the storage period.

2. Controlled atmosphere storage

Peaches can be stored for 6-8 weeks or longer at 0°C, 2% oxygen, and 5% carbon dioxide, and chilling injury can be reduced. If fluorite soaked in saturated potassium permanganate solution is added to a controlled atmosphere tent or bag to absorb ethylene, the effect is even better.

3. Low temperature combined with simple controlled atmosphere and preservative measures

Peaches at 80%-90% maturity, after harvest, are wrapped individually in paper and packed into cartons or bamboo baskets lined with non-toxic polyvinyl chloride film bags or polyethylene film bags, or directly packed into the above bags without paper wrapping, and immediately pre-cooled. After the fruit has cooled, add a certain amount of sec-butylamine fumigant, ethylene absorbent, and carbon dioxide remover into the bag, tie the bag opening tightly, seal the box, stack, and keep the storage temperature at 0-2°C. For Okubo and Hakuho peaches, the good fruit rate after 50-60 days of storage is above 95%, and the original firmness and flavor are basically maintained. After harvest, soaking the fruit in a mixed solution of 100-1000 ppm Benlate and 450-900 ppm dichloronitroaniline can prevent brown rot and soft rot. For sec-butylamine fumigation, 0.05-0.1 mL of sec-butylamine is needed per liter of volume. When using it, the liquid can be adhered to a cotton ball, and then the cotton ball can be hung in the storage room, tent, or bag.