Shelf-life extension technology for stone fruit improves quality and consistency in supply
Shelf-life extension technology for stone fruit improves quality and consistency in supply
Publish Date: 2026-06-24 09:07:00
Source Domain: www.freshplaza.com
Stone fruit is very seasonal and its journey within the supply chain can be described as highly time sensitive. “With all the swings we’ve been witnessing in the climate, time has become even more crucial,” says Ioannis Minas, Associate Professor of Pomology at Colorado State University. In the U.S., growers sign contracts with their buyers ahead of the season, not even knowing how their supply for the upcoming season will play out. “There’s always pressure to get the right fruit variety to the right customer and every season turns out to be a gamble,” he added.
Sequential ripening
In order to have consistent supply throughout the season, the goal of stone fruit growers is to harvest a different variety about once every two weeks. In addition to consistency of supply, this is also to avoid extended presence in cold storage. “In the rush of a short growing season, post-harvest oversight for peaches is one of the first things to fall behind, despite its critical importance,” mentioned Minas. A sequential ripening period is crucial, but peaches and nectarines in particular have short shelf-life windows. For that reason, different varieties are grown, ripening at different times. “This allows growers to achieve an early season, a peak season and a late season.”
Ideal Colorado harvest season scenario
© Colorado State University
Although this is the ideal scenario, the reality is different. Last year, the Colorado stone fruit season started historically early, and growers were forced to guide their ships in uncharted waters. Usually, their peak season falls around mid-August, but in 2025 it came during the last week of July. All of a sudden growers had double the amount of fruit they normally have during the last week of July. Since contracts with retailers were put together ahead of time, it was challenging to find a market for this excess volume at short notice. “Growers have to be careful not to oversaturate the market and erode their own pricing,”…
