Different herbs have different needs in farming, but many people are actually unaware of how those needs differ between species, so when you have done your harvest you need to know how to ensure that you are looking after your herbs once it's done.
If you don't treat the herbs the right way, you might find that the mistakes that are made reduce their shelf life and can ruin the produce before it can even be used. As a farmer, this is going to cost you a lot of money and a lot of time, but it's also going to cost the users. If you are selling fresh herbs and growing them, then you need to understand how to store them and how to treat them. It's all well and good to have agriculture cleaning in place after harvest has been done, but if this is going to interfere with the herbs and the way they're growing then you need to have a look at your options. So, here is how you can keep your herbs in the best possible condition.
- Keep them cool. Herbs should be kept cool at all times because respiration rates will slow right down when produce is kept as cool as possible. Harvesting during the cooler parts of the day is the smart thing to do, and so that means you have to harvest in both the early morning and the evening. This will keep the herbs at the best possible temperature.
- But don’t keep them too cool. You already know that there are some herbs that require some warmth, and they can be sensitive to being too cooled down. If you have a cool greenhouse or a kitchen, you might consider keeping the herbs that need to be slightly warmer on the counter and not the refrigerator.
- Keep as consistent as possible. Temperature and moisture fluctuates and these are mostly responsible for diseases that occur among herbs. They also lead to decay issues, and you can reduce this by taking down the number of times you move the products from one place to the next.
- Use CO2 to control ethylene. You need to do this to ensure that you increase the CO2 levels and assist with growth.
- Use clippers. Don’t just pull herbs! Use clippers to take it apart and be gentle with it so that you don’t ruin the roots. It will prevent tearing during harvest and you can help your customers by ensuring that they get top quality products at all times.
- Remember that you need to get the right packaging. The packaging that you use should be specific to the type of herb and that’s where research comes in. Each herb has to be treated to ensure that its shelf life is longer and that’s where you can break out your research!
Knowing how to treat your herbs post-harvest is important if you want to ensure that you have the freshest produce on offer. Your herbs matter – as does your farm!
Photo by Anton Atanasov
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