Recently, I have seen cauliflower everywhere, from marketing for cauliflower rice to social media influencers using blended cauliflower in their smoothies. It is a pretty multidimensional vegetable that can add nutrients to a meal as a side dish or can be prepared as the main course. (Click here to learn more about how to select and store cauliflower.)
In April, I stopped in to Lakeside Organic Gardens to get a glimpse of their cauliflower harvest and packing operations. As you will recall, many companies transition their vegetable production between the Salinas Valley/Central Valley and the Imperial Valley/Yuma, Arizona area throughout the year. Lakeside Organic Gardens participates in the leafy green “transition” and moves the majority of their operations to the Imperial Valley during the winter months. At the time of my visit in the middle of April, the harvest for the Watsonville area had just begun for the season (which neighbors California’s Salinas Valley).
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Cauliflower Harvest & Packing
To see the step-by-step of the cauliflower harvest and packing operation, check out the video below! (It was raining a little bit on the day of my visit, but it did not affect the harvest much.)
Since cauliflower is harvested and packed into the final packaging in the field, there are a lot of logistics to consider.
How is Cauliflower Harvested?
The overall process consists of a harvesting machine that is connected to a tractor and moves along with the harvesters as they harvest the cauliflower using a harvesting knife. There is also an adjacent trailer that moves along with the harvesting machine to stack the packed product.
The cauliflower harvesting process is as follows:
- Cauliflower Harvest – The harvesters are responsible for selecting quality cauliflower heads for harvest. This includes checking the cauliflower heads for size, compactness and if there are any defects. Knives are used to remove the cauliflower heads from the plant and to cut down the outer leaves of the harvested cauliflower. They are then placed on the conveyor line of the harvesting rig. This is all taking place while the workers are moving at the speed of the harvesting rig through the rows.
- Rinse Step – The harvested cauliflower heads are rinsed with a single-pass of sanitized water, as they continue on the conveyor line.
- Cauliflower Packing – The packers have different labeled bags around their waists. The customer specifications determine which cauliflower heads are packed with which bags. The packed cauliflower heads are then packed into boxes, which are transported to the adjacent trailer to be stacked. Once the adjacent trailer is loaded, it is taken to the cooler and another trailer takes its place.
When these cauliflower heads are packed into boxes in the field, that is their final packaging. At that point, the harvested product goes to the cooler and is sent from there to fill orders. However, another harvesting option is when the heads are harvested in the field and taken to be further processed into smaller heads or into florets for the fresh or frozen market.
Food Safety Considerations
For a cauliflower harvesting and packing operation, some of the main food safety concerns are:
- Cleaning and Sanitation of the harvesting knives – Cleaning and sanitizing of the harvesting knives needs to occur on a regular and frequent basis. In addition to this being on a schedule and controlled by the company, there also needs to be a knife dip to store the knives in while the workers are on break.
- Sanitation of the wash water – Although the water is not recycled wash water, there still needs to be a testing and policy in place and implemented. The water needs to be potable and maintained safe to apply to the product.
- Glove policy – Since gloves are required, there needs to be a glove policy enforced. This means that the gloves are controlled by the company, and that they are either disposable or able to be washed, and are changed out appropriately. If the gloves are washed, the company needs to control the cleaning of the gloves.
- Cleaning and Sanitation of the harvesting rig – Every piece of harvested product touches the harvesting rig between being harvested and packed, so it needs to be cleaned and sanitized to prevent any potential cross-contamination issues to the product.
There are many more items to be taken into consideration, but this is just a brief list to get you thinking about it! This is also going to be the same for broccoli harvesting.
Postharvest Considerations
There are two main postharvest considerations for cauliflower during storage and shipment:
- Temperature control – This is a common factor with most crops. Cauliflower will have the longest shelf-life if stored near 0°C/32°F. The quicker it is transported to the cooler and the longer that temperature is maintained, the longer the shelf-life.
- Ethylene sensitivity – Cauliflower is sensitive to ethylene (just like broccoli) and will result in yellowing and leaf abscission (where the leaves fall off) if exposed to high ethylene producing crops (climacteric fruit). As a result, they cannot be stored near or transported with those crops to control the quality and salability of the cauliflower.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which state produces the most cauliflower in the United States?
California is the number one cauliflower producer in the United States.
How much cauliflower is grown annually?
According to the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center (AgMRC), 1003 million pounds of cauliflower were grown in 2020, with the average individual annual consumption of 2.61 pounds of fresh cauliflower and 0.72 pounds of frozen cauliflower.
How are cauliflower heads processed into florets?
Cauliflower heads are broken down and processed into cauliflower heads at a processing facility (this step does not occur in the field). You can click here to see how cauliflower is processed.
Featured Grower Information
I would like to thank Lakeside Organic Gardens for the tour and for allowing the gathered content to be shared. Lakeside Organic Gardens is an organic grower located in Watsonville, California and they grow over 45 different produce items. (My favorites are their rainbow carrots!)
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Thanks
may i ask how heavy a box of cauliflower is? i need it as a reference. thanks