Avocados continue to grow whilst on the tree and only ripen when they are harvested. Old large fruit has a shorter life compared to younger and smaller fruit. Ripening and the softening of fruit can be delayed by quickly pre-cooling the fruit immediately after harvest and placing the fruit in an ethylene free storage environment. Avocados produce ethylene and the ripening process will accelerate if exposed to a buildup of natural ethylene or ambient ethylene. There are a number of different cultivars of avocado and all of them vary in sensitivity to chill damage. The popular Fuerte and Hass varieties have a medium range of sensitivity to chill injury. Ongoing research has shown that the addition of calcium to avocados during cultivation reduces the ripening processes and degree of sensitivity to chill damage. Detailed information on the addition of calcium is available from local horticultural agencies.

Fuerte variety - 7ºC (45ºF) 90% humidity
Other varieties 5º - 12ºC (40º - 52º F) 90% humidity.

Properly pre-cooled mature avocados can be stored in bulk in PEAKfresh® carton liners for around three weeks prior to packaging into trays. This application provides a reasonable level of humidity and a degree of protection against excessive ethylene gas damage. Mature avocados can be packed using the box liners and stored for around six weeks whilst ripe fruit can be packed using PEAKfresh® sheet and stored for around 10 days. Ripe fruit stored under ambient temperature conditions has a life of around three to six days. The optimum ripening temperature for mature fruit is l6ºC (60ºF).

Fuerte variety
7º -10ºC (42º - 50ºF) 85% - 90% humidity other varieties
5º -12º C (40º - 52ºF) 85% - 90% humidity

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.