Commercial Use of Long-term Storage of Lemon with Intermittent Warming

Long-term storage of lemon [ Citrus limon (L.) Burm] at 13°C for 3 months and longer resulted in a high incidence of rot. The remaining sound fruit became dry, overripe in color, and therefore unmarketable. Storage at < 10°C caused chilling injury, including internal membranosis, peel pitting, and changes in juice composition (4). Intermittent warming for 7 days at 13° following 21 days at 2° eliminated chilling injury development in ‘Eureka’ and ‘Villa franca’ lemon, limons could be kept in storage for 6 months or longer and retain their marketing quality without chilling injury (5). Herein are presented the results of 2 years of commercial use of long-term storage of lemons at suboptimal temperature with intermittent warming.