Did you know what causes seedless cucumbers to turn yellow?
What about the best temperature to store bell peppers, or how to prevent them from shriveling?
The answer isn't always to refrigerate, as many retailers do.
The Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers Association (OGVG) has a new training program designed to help retailers get the most out of their greenhouse-grown produce. Jacquie Trombley, marketing liaison officer for the Leamington-based organization, says several years of store checks revealed some common misconceptions.
“We started to notice a big difference between merchandising our products in the U.S. versus Canada,” Trombley says. Cucumbers were kept in a cooler, in the dark and often under misters. Peppers were refrigerated or even placed on ice, and tomatoes were often kept too cool.
“All of these things are going to hurt sales and promote decay,” she says.
In response, OGVG created “Fresh Tip” guides, available for download from its website, OGVG.com/merchandising. The guides offer a quick overview of the most important points for merchandising cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers.
Then, the organization worked with FreshXperts to develop 20- and 40-minute in-person training programs for retailers and their in-store personnel. Depending on feedback, the organization is considering making the program available via webinar.
“We're hoping to share it with as many produce professionals as we can,” Trombley says.
The in-person trainings started this winter, she says, and will continue as requested.