The IQF Freezing Process

Visual and Hand sorting of fruit.

The majority of the freestone peaches processed are run through a system process know as IQF, or Individually Quick Frozen. This is accomplished by immersing the peaches in a cold bath of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and Citric acid to preserve and protect the color of the fruit during storage and re-handling/processing by their customers. Once the fruit is protected, the excess solution is air blown off the fruit and travels into en-closed freezing tunnels.

My only regret, is that there are no pictures of this process. This is not for lack of trying. Every attempt at a shot in this tunnel resulted in fogged over lens, and a resulting black shot. But what happened in here is quite memorable. As you walk into this dark. sub zero degreed enclosed tunnel, your freezing body and instantly fogged over eyes are staring at "moon lit" workers who are dressed in garb as protective as an astronaut's space suit. This has to be what being on the moon is like. They are shoveling peaches that are being lifted by the artificial wind as they individually freeze as they fly through the air. It was physically an eery sensation.

The Tree Pull Program

The California Canning Peach Association is a bargaining association for outside growers to bargain and help set the prices of peaches in the marketplace.. They implemented the tree pull program, to reduce the amount of peaches in the market so they didn't have a surplus. That way farmers can make a decent return . They came up with the tree pull program to reduce the amount of acres of trees and tons of fruits, to get supply down more in line with demand. In turn, farmers received higher prices for their peaches . They were also instrumental in placing some of Tri Valley Growers tonnage into other processor plants - PCP, Cal Fruit, J.R. Wood, Del Monte. It is accepted that the tree pull program was good for the economy.