Pre-cooling

• Precooling means the rapid cooling (48 h or less) of a commodity to a desired transit or storage temperature soon after harvest before it is stored or moved in transit.
• Rapid cooling after harvest is generally referred to as pre-cooling and particularly benefits the more perishable and rapidly respiring fruits and vegetables.
• The purpose of precooling is to reduce field heat.
• Retaining the freshness of grapes for a long time requires prompt removal of field heat after harvesting.
• The temperature in the packing house should be maintained at 18–20°C and the grapes should be transported to precooling units within 4–6 h of harvest.