• Proper temperature,
humidity, air circulation, ventilation, ethylene and mature tomatoes are
required for ripening:
Temperature range for ripening: 64° to 70°F (18° to 21°C)
Humidity for ripening & storage: 85 - 95% RH (90% ideal)
Air Circulation: Sufficient to provide even pulp temperatures throughout
the ripening room.
Ventilation: Use “flow through” ventilation or vent room 10-20
minutes every 12 hours (manually or by automatic fan).
Ethylene: Maintain 100-150 ppm until a “breaker” or Stage #3 is
reached, usually 24-36 hours (depending on temperature and maturity).
Mature Tomatoes: Mature green tomatoes will ripen after harvesting in the
same manner as they would on the plant, thanks to an external source of ethylene
in the ripening room that triggers the fruit to release its own ethylene.
However, immature tomatoes will erratically respond to external ethylene and
possibly result in poor quality or delayed ripening. Harvest or receive only
mature fruit.
•
Ripen tomatoes as soon as possible:
Whenever possible, avoid “holding” and delayed ripening. Tomatoes will
respond these best and ripen evenly when external ethylene is applied soon after
harvest. On average, fruit ripened at 64° to 70°F to a breaker stage can then
be stored for more than two weeks at 55°F (12.5°C) until a full red (stage #6)
color is reached.
•
Regularly take pulp temperature readings (at least twice per day) of each load of tomatoes and refer
to these readings as you ripen.
•
Maintain pulp temperatures in the correct range at all times:
The greatest cause of tomatoes suffering a big loss in flavor and retail quality
is cold. When tomato pulp temperatures are allowed to stray out of the proper
temperature range, internal damage results in a mushy appearance of flavor
decline. Therefore, it is crucial to ensure that pulp temperatures remain above
55°F at all times and at all stages of ripeness. When shipping tomatoes on
mixed loads at air temperatures less than 55°F, use some form of protection
such as insulated or plastic pallet covers to hold the fruit’s heat in.
• Check equipment often and smoke test rooms for air leaks at least
once per year.
Home Ethy-Gen II
Generators
Ripening Tips
FAQ's
