Fruit Warehouse

a place for storing fresh fruits. In order to preserve fruits most efficiently, a certain air temperature, air humidity, and composition of the gaseous medium (content of oxygen and carbon dioxide) must be maintained. The desired temperature is achieved by natural cooling (low temperatures of outside air) or by refrigeration. Humidifiers are used to maintain the necessary air humidity. The gaseous composition required in the various parts of a fruit warehouse is attained through the physiological activity of the fruits—their absorption of oxygen and excretion of carbon dioxide—or by introducing a gaseous mixture obtained in special generators or released from cylinders. A fruit warehouse may have hermetically sealed or open chambers. In the latter type of chamber the fruit is packaged in cartons, sacks, or boxes.

Fruit warehouses may be used for only one type of fruit (pip, drupe, grapes, citrus). Most, however, are used for various different types of fruit. The facilities of a warehouse vary depending on the intended period of storage. Some are used for the rapid chilling of berries, summer fruit varieties, and grapes before transport. Others are used for prolonged storage of winter varieties, and still others are used both for chilling and storing fruit. Fruit warehouses may be aboveground, semisubmerged (more than halfway aboveground), and submerged (more than halfway underground). Most common are aboveground and semisubmerged warehouses.

Fruit warehouses are constructed with prefabricated reinforced concrete (foundation, columns, beams, slabs) or local materials (brick, quarried stone). The floors are made of asphalt, and the roof consists of various roofing materials.