Cucumber is harvested as an unripe fruit and is very delicate. Care should be taken when harvesting to avoid skin damage and bruising. Cucumbers are very sensitive to chill damage and following harvest their temperature should be reduced slowly over a 24 to 48 hour period to around 10ºC (50ºF). Chill injury will occur at temperatures below 7ºC (42ºF). Shrink wrapping cucumbers in polyethylene is a very affective packaging method. Cucumber wilt very quickly and become soft and shrivelled and must be maintained in a high humidity environment. It is possible to store young cucumbers for a maximum of 21 days. Cucumbers should not be stored anywhere near apples, pears or other ambient sources of ethylene gas.
Packaging Method:
Good quality cucumbers (including Lebanese cucumbers) can be stored in unsealed Peakfreshcarton liners up to a maximum 5 kg weight. Cucumbers can be stored at domestic level in individual Peakfreshbags that are sealed. It is very important that the temperature following packaging be around 10ºC (50ºF) with good ventilation. We recommend that cucumbers stored in Peakfreshexamined around 14 days following packaging. Avoid storage near apples, pears or other sources of ethylene gas.
Recommended Post Harvest Temperatures:
Cucumbers should be slowly cooled over 24 to 48 hours down to around 10ºC (50ºF). Do not chill below 7ºC (42ºF) as chilling damage will result. 95% humidity
IMPORTANT. Please read. All recommendations for the use of Peakfresh products are given in good faith and based on proven field experience. Packaging method storage temperatures and humidity levels, transit and destination conditions are factors likely to affect the performance of Peakfresh products and no liability for indirect or consequential damage can be accepted. We recommend that Peakfresh products be trialed under local conditions before introduction to large scale commercial applications.
