Method for packaging, storing and ventilating produce

A method of producing a container of banana clusters, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing inner and outer containers for said banana clusters, said outer container having a top wall, bottom wall and side walls and being of a substantially rigid construction and having at least one ventilation opening, and said inner container having a top portion and a bottom portion;
• (b) placing said inner container within said outer container;
• (c) placing said banana clusters within said inner container;
• (d) closing said inner container at said top portion;
• and
• (e) providing a means for opening said inner container, said opening means attached to said inner container and being positioned such that said opening means is accessible from the exterior of said outer container through a side wall of said outer container and such that said inner container is openable to provide increased ventilation without opening said outer container and while said inner and outer container is in a stacked array of inner and outer containers.

A method of producing a container of banana clusters, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a plurality of banana clusters;
• (b) providing inner and outer containers for said banana clusters;
• said outer container being of a substantially rigid, rectangular construction, and having a top wall, bottom wall, sidewalls, and at least one ventilation opening in said top;
• said inner container comprising a flexible bag having a top portion. a sealed bottom portion, an open end adjacent said top portion, and a perforation between said top and bottom portions adjacent said top portion;
• (c) placing said bag within said outer container such that said top portion is positioned beneath said ventilation opening;
• (d) placing said banana clusters within said bag;
• (e) closing said bag by means of a cord tied about the periphery of said top portion in order to substantially seal the top portion of said bag to thus containerize said bananas;
• and
• (f) positioning said cord such that the cord is accessible from the exterior of a sidewall of said outer container, such that said bag may be severed at said perforation by pulling said cord in order to provide increased ventilation to said banana clusters through said ventilation opening without opening said outer container and while said inner and outer container is in a stacked array of inner and outer containers.

A method of packing, shipping and storing bananas, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing an inner and outer container for said bananas at a first location, said outer container being of a substantially rigid, rectangular construction, and having a top, a bottom, a plurality of sidewalls, and at least one ventilation opening in said top, and wherein said inner container comprises a flexible bag having a top portion, a sealed bottom portion, an open end adjacent said top portion, and a perforation between said top and bottom portions adjacent said top portion, wherein said perforation extends substantially across the entire width of said bag;
• (b) placing said bag within said outer container;
• (c) placing said bananas inside said inner container;
• (d) closing said bag by means of a cord tied about the periphery of said top portion in order to substantially seal the top portion of said bag to thus containerize said bananas;
• said cord being positioned such that it is accessible from the exterior through a side wall of said outer container such that said inner container is openable to provide increased ventilation without opening said outer container and while said inner and outer container is in a stacked array of inner and outer containers;
• (e) shipping said containerized bananas to a second location;
• (f) pulling said cord through a sidewall of said outer container in order to sever said bag at said perforation thereby removing said top portion of said bag so as to provide increased ventilation to said bananas through said ventilation opening without opening said outer container;
• and
• (g) storing said containerized bananas at said second location.