Citrus Fruit Storage

Citrus Fruit Storage

Citrus fruit storage must accommodate more than different sizes and colours of fruit. Oranges, mandarins, lemons and grapefruit vary in their response to low temperatures, and suitable conditions can also change with cultivar, growing region and storage duration. A room setting that works for one delivery may be unsuitable for another.

Frigovetta Refrigeration System designs, manufactures and installs citrus cold storage facilities for growers, packing houses and distributors. Within our fruit cold storage projects, the starting point is the seasonal product schedule: which citrus arrives, how it is handled and when it must leave for market.

Planning Around the Citrus Season

A packing facility may begin with one mandarin variety, move into oranges and later hold lemons for a different sales programme. This changing product mix affects chamber availability and the conditions each room must provide.

The project layout should allow compatible batches to be grouped while retaining separate space for fruit with different requirements. Room capacity is assessed against peak stock as well as the rate at which packing lines fill storage positions. This helps avoid a facility with adequate total space but too few rooms available at the required conditions.

Storage Conditions by Fruit Type

Orange storage requirements vary with cultivar and production area. Mandarins also need careful temperature selection because unsuitable low-temperature exposure can lead to peel pitting and discoloration. Their storage programme should account for maturity and expected time before sale.

Lemons and grapefruit generally require warmer storage conditions than many temperate fruits stored close to freezing. Treating them as interchangeable with apples or grapes can expose them to chilling injury. The final settings should follow an appropriate postharvest programme for the actual fruit being handled.

Cold room refrigeration systems are specified to maintain these agreed operating conditions under the site’s expected loads. Where chambers serve different crops, controls must allow those conditions to be managed independently.

Peel Quality and Handling Routes

Peel appearance is a major part of fresh citrus quality. Cuts, abrasion and oil-gland damage can leave visible defects and increase the likelihood of losses during storage. Refrigeration helps manage deterioration but cannot repair damage introduced during harvesting or packing.

Cold room access should fit the way bins and finished pallets move through the building. Sliding cold room doors can be sized for the handling equipment, while clear transfer routes reduce the need to reposition loads in confined areas. Space for inspecting batches and removing unsuitable fruit should remain accessible as stock levels rise.

Degreening Is a Separate Process

Some citrus programmes include degreening to reduce green peel colour in suitably mature fruit. This is a controlled treatment with different temperature, ventilation and ethylene requirements from ordinary storage. A change in peel colour does not replace the need for fruit to meet the required internal maturity at harvest.

Where degreening is part of the operation, its room functions and movement of air must be considered separately. Storage chambers should not receive unintended ethylene exposure from an adjacent treatment area. The project scope should identify whether it covers cold storage alone or additional conditioning facilities.

Moisture Management and Room Construction

Limiting moisture loss helps reduce peel shrivelling during storage. Cold room evaporators and their controls are selected with temperature stability and moisture management in mind. Packaging, stacking and the duration of fan operation also influence the conditions around the fruit.

Cold room panels provide the insulated enclosure, with joints, access points and service penetrations detailed for the intended room conditions. Cleaning access and condensate drainage are included in installation planning.

Preparing Your Project Brief

Our turnkey cold storage solutions combine the agreed refrigeration equipment, insulated rooms, doors and controls. Share your citrus varieties, harvest calendar, incoming temperatures, packing formats and intended storage periods. Include any degreening requirements so the facility can be planned around the full sequence of operations.