Apple Boxes (Cardboard)
Vented corrugated produce boxes that stack and let apples breathe.
Apples bruise and they need air, so a produce box is a balance: vented enough to breathe and cool, strong enough to stack a pallet high without crushing the layer underneath.
- Vent holes for airflow in cold storage
- Stacking lip so loaded boxes hold their shape
- Tray, telescopic and carry-handle styles
- Printed or plain kraft corrugate
We build apple boxes with hand holes, vent cuts and a stacking lip, in tray or telescopic styles, printed if you want the farm or label on the side.
“The magnetic boxes are the nicest thing about our subscription, and I say that as the person who makes the product. Zero damage across 3,000 shipments.”
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Two demands pulling apart
A produce box for apples has to do two things that fight each other. It needs to breathe, because apples give off heat and ethylene and need airflow to stay firm in cold storage. And it needs to stack, because a packing house loads boxes pallet-high and the bottom layer can't crush. Vent it too much and it weakens; seal it up and the fruit suffers.
The build is how you balance that: vent cuts placed where they don't undercut the corners, and a stacking lip or column strength that carries the load.
Styles that ship apples
- Tray (one-piece): a low, open tray for display and short hauls
- Telescopic (two-piece): a lid over a base for full enclosure and stacking
- Carry box: hand holes for retail and farm-stand sales
Corrugate flute and wall count scale to the weight and the stack height. A box meant to go four high needs more than one bound for the farmers' market table.
Printing and stock
Plain kraft corrugate is the workhorse, but the side panel prints well if you want the farm name, variety, or grade on the box. For mixed produce or gift packs, the same structure adapts to pears, citrus, and stone fruit.
If you're shipping smaller retail quantities, a printed product box may fit better than a field crate. Tell us the pack count and stack height and we'll spec the board. Get a quote.
