Generally, fruit that is stored for longer periods of time tends to soften as it continues to ripen. Therefore, the ideal firmness level for long-term storage fruit is typically higher than that of fresh fruit.

For example, apples that are intended for long-term storage are typically picked at a firmer stage of ripeness and stored at a temperature of around 32-35°F with controlled humidity levels. The ideal firmness level for these apples would be around 16-18 lbs of force when measured using a fruit firmness tester such as a penetrometer.

Similarly, pears that are intended for long-term storage are also typically picked at a firmer stage of ripeness and stored at a temperature of around 30-31°F with controlled humidity levels. The ideal firmness level for these pears would be around 11-13 lbs of force when measured using NextGen’s fruit firmness tester.

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