Cherry and Stone Fruit Storage

Cherry and Stone Fruit Storage

Cherry and stone fruit cold storage connects a busy harvest with a time-sensitive delivery schedule. Cherries, peaches, nectarines, apricots and plums arrive with different handling requirements, even when they share the same packing facility. A successful project allows each batch to move through cooling, temporary storage and dispatch without unnecessary waiting or repeated handling.

Frigovetta Refrigeration System designs, manufactures and installs the refrigeration infrastructure for these facilities. Within our fruit cold storage projects, room sizes, cooling duties and access arrangements are developed around the fruit, its packaging and the expected daily throughput.

Cooling Around Daily Arrivals

The busiest intake period often determines what the facility must handle. Several deliveries arriving together create a different cooling demand from the same quantity arriving gradually throughout the day. Incoming fruit temperature, batch size and the required cooling time therefore form part of the project assessment.

Where a dedicated precooling stage is required, its refrigeration duty is calculated separately from the duty of rooms holding already cooled fruit. Packaging and pallet arrangement must also suit the selected cooling method. Placing warm cartons inside a cold room does not, by itself, establish how quickly the fruit at the centre will cool.

Cherry Storage and Stem Freshness

For fresh cherries, cooling and moisture management influence both fruit condition and stem appearance. The storage arrangement should limit avoidable drying while maintaining suitable conditions throughout the load. Refrigeration cannot reverse bruising or impact damage sustained before the fruit reaches the room.

The handling route matters here. Accessible batch positions and a clear route to dispatch can reduce unnecessary pallet movements. Cold room evaporators are selected to suit the cooling duty and the airflow routes available through the packed load.

Different Fruit, Different Storage Plans

Peaches and nectarines need particular attention to cultivar, maturity and intended marketing period. Some varieties can develop internal texture problems during unsuitable cold storage, even when the outside still looks acceptable. Simply choosing a warmer setting is not a reliable solution to chilling injury.

Apricots and plums also require storage decisions matched to the variety and condition of the fruit. Where a validated preconditioning programme is needed, its timing and space requirements should be incorporated into the project. Separate chambers allow incompatible storage programmes or batches at different stages to be managed independently.

From Packing to Dispatch

A room layout should account for where packed fruit waits before loading. If completed orders repeatedly stand in an unconditioned passage, part of the cooling effort can be lost before transport begins. A temperature-managed dispatch area can be included where the operating schedule requires it.

Door openings should match pallet traffic and available clearance.Sliding cold room doors can provide suitable access, while cold room panels form the insulated enclosure around storage and dispatch spaces. Their specification is coordinated with the room conditions and the building layout.

Planning Your Turnkey Project

Our cold room refrigeration systems are specified around the agreed intake, storage and dispatch duties. Installation planning also covers equipment access, condensate drainage, electrical connections and control locations.

To develop a proposal, share the fruit varieties, peak daily intake, arrival temperatures, packaging dimensions and expected time before dispatch. These details help define a facility that fits the harvest programme and the way your team handles each order.