Fruit Shipping Process

Mail order fruit provides a refreshing change from the bland and under ripe fruit found at your local grocer. Many people have sampled fruit that comes from a mail order company and marveled at the difference between the flavor of store bought fruit and that sent by mail. The difference in flavor has much to do with the fruit shipping process.

Commercial and Bulk Fruit Suppliers

Fruit grown for large scale commercial wholesale is produced on large farms and treated with a variety of insecticides to prevent damage from fruit loving insects. Because people want the staple fruits year round, growers in ideal climates must mass produce these fruits and ship them in a way that they stay fresh during transit as well as the shelf life at the grocery store. Understanding that the process from picking to consumer purchase can take from a few days to a few weeks, farmers harvest these fruits prior to the fruit reaching its full ripeness.

Because fruit is an organic plant, it takes in oxygen and releases carbon dioxide beginning immediately after harvesting. This respiration is what causes the fruit to ripen, and eventually rot. Large growers must slow down this process to extend the life of the fruit, with the ultimate goal being that the fruit reaches the perfect level of ripeness at the consumer’s home. Most large scale producers use a combination of cold storage and reduced oxygen in their storage facilities. By increasing the level of carbon dioxide and keeping the fruit cold, the metabolism of the fruit is slowed enough to extend its shelf life past what would occur naturally. This process inevitably reduces the moisture of the fruit and changes the flavor.

Mail Order Fruit

Fruit that is grown by smaller farmers that mail fruit straight to the end consumer has much more juice and flavor, as it is picked fresh from the source, packaged and immediately shipped. Mail order fruit suppliers cut the time from tree to table by as much as week, allowing the fruit to be harvested at onset of becoming ripe. By the time the fruit arrives at your home, it is perfectly ripe and ready to eat.

Fruit shipping requires careful packaging, which is difficult for wholesale suppliers to accomplish. When a farmers or mail order companies mail fruit, they package each piece in a way that prevents rubbing, bruising or discoloration that is so commonly found in store bought fruit.

Citrus fruit is almost exclusively shipped from great distances, unless you happen to live in Florida, where it is naturally grown. Oranges, tangerines, grapefruits and other similar citrus fruits rely on their moisture content for their flavor, much of which is lost during the commercial shipping process. Growers that offer citrus fruit shipping are in high demand, and after one bite of mail order fruit you will understand why.

Taste the Sunshine with Hale Groves

At Hale Groves, we believe the best gifts come from the land, not a factory. For generations, our fruit has been grown slowly under the Florida sun, picked at its peak, and delivered fresh to your door. From sweet Navel Oranges to rare Honeybells, every gift shares the simple joy of real flavor—perfect for holidays, milestones, or everyday moments worth celebrating.

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