Postharvest Handling List
- Pre-cooling is the quick removal of heat from freshly harvested vegetables to reduce the loss in quality of produce once it's been picked prior to loading for transport to market before storage. For example, this can be done by putting the vegetables under the shade once harvested.
- Cleaning is the process of removing or washing leftover soil or residue from the vegetable product surface, particularly root vegetables such as onions or carrots.
- Drying is the placing of harvested vegetables in the sunshine and allowing them to dry enough before threshing or shelling.
- Sorting is the practice of separating the good vegetables from remains, residues, and vegetable grains that are in bad shape or broken.
- Grading is done by putting the harvested vegetables in uniform lots according to their size or shape.
- Packaging consists of packing the produce in containers. The containers could be boxes, tins, sacks or bottles. Packing reduces losses and maintains produce quality.
- Storage plays a major role in maintaining quality of harvested vegetables. There are different types of stores, ranging from local stores like granaries, to more modern stores like silos.