After roughly 72 hours in the fridge the pea greens started showing very subtle signs of softening/wilting. I did a taste test of the greens harvested 72 hours ago versus harvesting and eating live greens. The 72 hour greens tasted a bit more grassy, the live harvested tasted sweeter and were crisper in comparison. The obvious benefit of the 72 hour refrigeration is more time window before consumption, while the tray could then be used to grow even more in that time period. The downside is slightly wilted greens, refrigeration required, and clam shell packaging.

Here’s the previous post if anyone wants more context to the experiment: https://lemmy.world/post/47253866

  • just_another_person@lemmy.world
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    2 hours ago

    I don’t mean to be rude, but I’ve seen your posts, and you seem to just be “rediscovering” cold-chain techniques that are already known facts.

    It seems you’re trying to start a business perhaps? Is there some other context here we should understand?

    If you’re just now figuring out that certain barriers in cold storage stop wilting from fresh vegetables, that’s already a mostly solved problem unless you’re intending to improve upon it.

    Specific to the things you are showing here: there are many growers that actually sell their products in packaging with the grow medium including, so they ship from site, and arrive on shelves still growing. They stay fresh for weeks because of this.

    Is this your intention?

    • jaykrown@lemmy.worldOP
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      2 hours ago

      there are many growers that actually sell their products in packaging with the grow medium including, so they ship from site, and arrive on shelves still growing. They stay fresh for weeks because of this.

      Yea this is the intention, except with no single-use plastic waste. I’ve never seen this at a grocery store before. I’ve seen live plants and harvested greens, at most I’ve seen lettuce that still has roots. I’m exploring the possibility of selling live trays like this for profit with reusable trays requiring me to not use any other packaging or refrigeration in operation. This experiment was to see exactly how different the greens were after three days of refrigeration compared to live harvest.

      • just_another_person@lemmy.world
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        37 minutes ago

        Live trays of shoots and sprouts are sold all over the US, but obviously the stores you go to may vary. They look like this with a clamshell and cellophane top.

        Most ship with plastic packaging, as you noted, but they still have aerated ceiling because it’s obviously necessary.

        If you want permeable packaging that won’t suffocate delicate shoots, you want packaging with a sturdy bottom to prevent water drainage, but a porous top with air flow. Sugar resin bottom, and plant fiber top. That will get you what you need, and last weeks.

        Plenty of manufacturers out there who will sell you any molding you need of these things at scale.