Copyright ©2007 Carter Thomas LLC. All rights reserved.    Fruit Conditioning by Carter Thomas Carter Thomas has the ability to condition our pears so that they are received at various maturity levels as requested by our customers. Ethylene gas is used to treat the pears as if they have been in cold storage for 14 days at 30 degree pulp temperature. Once a pear actually has been in cold storage for 14 days at 30 degree pulp, there is no reason for any ethylene treatment. The ethylene treatment process consists of running ethylene over warm pears for 24 hours then cooling the fruit Therefore, this process requires that we receive any orders at least 36 hours to prior to shipment. We classify the levels of conditioning to two different categories, 'triggering' and 'ripening.' Triggering refers to warming the fruit to ripening temperature prior to shipping. The fruit is then shipped and begins to mature. This procedure is ideal for customers on the East Coast, where the fruit is triggered to begin ripening but does not become overripe during the long ride. The triggering process requires 24 hours notice prior to shipment. Ripening refers to bringing the fruit to the customer's desired maturity level prior to shipment. To prevent over-ripening, this procedure is generally done only when the fruit has a short time (2 days or less) between shipment and arrival at the distribution center. The ripening process requires anywhere between 2 - 4 days, depending on maturity requirement and shipping time. Our Recommendation: To ensure that our customers receive their product at the desired maturity level, we recommend they provide us with the following information to help guide our conditioning program: Desired maturity level (psi) at store or distribution center. Expected number of days from shipment to arrival at distribution center. Average number of days from distribution center to store. In addition, in order to properly condition the fruit it is important that we have sufficient time between receiving an order and shipment to complete the necessary conditioning process (see above). In general, the industry (University of California, Davis) recommends that California Bartletts are displayed at 6-8 psi. Assuming a 48 hour turnaround from arrival at the distribution center to the store display, this would make the ideal receiving maturity at the distribution center 12-14 psi. The bottom line is that Carter Thomas can customize a conditioning program for your specific needs, and adapt it to the various times of the shipping season. Check with your CT salesperson for details. Home Page  |  Contact Information Availability Calendar  |  Shipping Locations Pear Facts & Information  |  Career Opportunities Related Links and Businesses