Vacuum cooling is a widely used rapid cooling method for vegetables. However, the inherent weight loss limits
its use in other areas of the horticultural industry. In the current study, cut white lilies (¸ilium 0white elegance')
were vacuum cooled in pilot-scale equipment with di!erent treatments to reduce weight losses. The vase life of
the cut #owers was monitored following the cooling treatments for two procedures: cold stored and unstored
#owers. The results show that by spraying adequate water on the cut #owers prior to vacuum cooling, weight
loss can be eliminated. Spraying water also improves the cooling rate leading to lower temperatures. It was
found that vacuum cooling is e!ective for extending the vase life of cut #owers especially when stored #owers are
sprayed with water before cooling.