Barhee Harvesting This variety is harvested and consumed at an unripe yellow stage (Khalal). The fruit is locally marketed on branches or exported on branches in cardboard boxes. This way of marketing and consumption requires harvesting of the bunches in a state of Khalal before it turns into Rutab, and without any green fruit. Barhee can be consumed in this state owing to the low amount of tannin, which becomes non-soluble, and as a result the fruit is yellow Khalal with low astringency. It is also important that the fruit be sweet (not bitter) with a brix above 29. The timing of the harvesting of Barhee is very important to ensure that the fruit reaches customers in an unripe state. Whole bunches are harvested at the appropriate stage of ripeness. The harvesting of the bunch is carried out with a secateur or special knife, the heavy bunches (approx. 20 kg) are carefully lowered to the ground and placed on a clean platform or hung on a special hanger and directly transported to the packinghouse. The harvesting is implemented in 3 to 5 rounds and only bunches in the appropriate state are cut off each time. Packing This variety (like Deglet Nour on branches) requires the combining of sorting with packing. The high moisture content of the date fruit at Khalal stage makes it necessary to shorten the time spent in packing and to keep the fruit at the appropriate temperature. The fruit is packed on branches in cardboard boxes weighing 5 kg (in Jordan, USA and Saudi Arabia). Green or ripe dates (Rutab) must be removed from the branches and only smooth, clean, yellow dates are packed. Since the fruit is fresh, the temperature must be lowered immediately after packing. It is also important to keep the fruit aired in order to remove substances, such as achetaldhide ethylene and CO2. Characteristics of the fruit Unripe, yellow, clean, smooth, hard without scratches, the fruit attached to the branches; diameter 26 mm minimum. Branches at least 10 cm long and at least 5 dates for every 10 cm. No tolerance of live insects: the fruit is not fumigated. Tolerance of green fruit: 1 % (of the number of dates). Tolerance of cured fruit: 1 % (of the number of dates). Detached fruit in the box: 3 % (of the number of dates). Storage temperature: 1 °C.
Posted on: Thu, 25 Dec 2014 03:29:27 +0000