Package for perishable food and horticultural products

A system of packaging fresh horticultural products comprising:

• plural stackable receptacles configured for stacking in tiers;
• controlled atmosphere product receiving containers each having an interior and an exterior and each being positioned in a receptacle, the containers comprising a film material and providing a controlled rate of gas flow between the interior and exterior thereof;
• cooling elements including a liquid absorbing material positioned within the receptacles and exteriorly of the containers for evaporatively cooling products in the containers;
• each receptacle, container positioned therein, and cooling element positioned therein being a package which is manually transportable by a single individual;
• and
• means for applying a vacuum to the containers and cooling elements so as to evaporate liquid from horticultural products within the containers and from the cooling elements to cool the horticultural products within the containers.

A package for fresh horticultural products comprising:

• a cooling element including a liquid absorbent material;
• a products container having an interior and an exterior, the exterior of the container being placed in close proximity to at least a portion of the liquid absorbent material of the cooling element;
• the liquid absorbent material of the cooling element being capable of holding water in an amount which is at least from about forty-five to sixty-five grams of water for each kilogram of the products within the container;
• and
• the cooling element and products container being transportable by a single individual harvesting horticultural products in a field such that horticultural products are harvestable in the field directly into the products container with the evaporation of liquid from the cooling element cooling such products in the field.