Harvest & Post-Harvest
Temperature Transitions & Storage Condensation
Moving sealed product between temperatures can change headspace relative humidity and create condensation risk on cold surfaces or product. Storage decisions should consider the entire temperature transition, not only the destination setpoint.
Key concepts
- Air's moisture-holding capacity changes with temperature
- Cold packages opened in warmer humid air can collect condensation
- Repeated temperature cycling can stress moisture equilibrium
- Cooling does not remove existing water from the product
What to measure or observe
- Record storage and transfer temperatures
- Allow sealed packages to approach the next environment when appropriate before opening
- Inspect for condensation
- Recheck product moisture indicators after unusual temperature excursions
Common mistakes
- Opening cold product immediately in humid air
- Assuming refrigeration automatically prevents mold
- Ignoring power-loss temperature excursions
- Moving product repeatedly without recording conditions
Visuals this lesson still needs
- Cold-package condensation sequence
- Temperature/RH transition diagram
- Storage excursion record
- Package warming workflow