Indigenous and Improved Postharvest Handling Methods and Processing of Fruits

Abstract

After harvesting, fresh fruit’s quality cannot be improved but it can be maintained. Fruits should be harvested at the appropriate maturity stage and size. Harvesting of fruits at improper maturity stage reduces shelf-life. Time of harvest, method of harvest, tools used in harvesting also contribute to the wholesomeness of harvested fruits. Fruits are living organisms that continue their living processes after harvest; therefore, their handling directly affects freshness as well as optimum flavor. Maintaining cool temperatures, appropriate air combination to maintain the quality of fruits, producers, handlers, and retailers are to ensure that fruits going for processing, marketing, or into storage are at the best quality state. Indigenous handling refers to the native, age-long, cultural system of postharvest handling of horticultural crops. Postharvest handling comprises interconnected activities from harvest to sorting, grading, preservation, transportation, packaging, processing, marketing, and decision by the consumer to accept or reject the food. Improvement is the enhancement made on the traditional postharvest handling methods to reduce losses of agricultural produce by at least 5%. Various means have been developed over time to handle and preserve food and particularly fruits over ages of technology advancement from the Stone Age.