Store Apples Correctly – That’s How it Works

Store different types of apples correctly

If you follow the tips below, you will have a crunchy apple to hand every day as a source of vitamins:

• With apples, the shelf life increases significantly depending on the harvest time: Varieties harvested early are only suitable for immediate consumption because they ripen very quickly. These include the so-called summer apples such as Gerlinde or Reglindis.
• You can store autumn apples such as Elstar, Gala, or Cox Orange for a short time. On average about two months.
• The apples from the winter harvest can be stored for several months. These include, for example, Gloster, Golden Delicius, Roter Boskoop and Jonagold.

For small quantities: store apples properly and keep them fresh

If you only want to keep a few apple freshes longer at a time, simply put them in a plastic bag and seal them. After about a week, poke as many holes in the bag as there are kilos in it.

The best place to store apples

Apples should be stored cool, but not frozen. The optimal room temperature also depends a little on the type of apple. As a guideline, the storage temperature should be in the lowest, positive range, between 1 and 6 degrees.

• A cool basement room with high humidity is ideal. However, such basement rooms are usually only found in old houses, preferably with clay floors. The boiler room is usually unsuitable and basement rooms through which the heating pipes run are also not optimal
• A shed or balcony is also good storage space. However, if the temperature is below zero, you must cover the apples well and protect them from mice. In addition, it should be as dark as possible.
• If you have a large garden with many apple trees or other types of fruit and vegetables, it is often worth having an earth cellar.
• Shelves are ideal for storage, but you can also use fruit crates or old chests of drawers.

The storage of the apples

It is best to harvest the apples on a cooler day. If you’re harvesting your apples on a hot day, be sure to wait for the apples to cool. Only then should you start storing.

• Apples should never be stored together with other fruits or vegetables. Therefore: Always store apples alone – also in the interest of the other fruit. Other gardens produce spoils faster when stored alongside apples, mostly due to increased ethylene emissions. Sometimes there are also changes in taste, such as with carrots.
• You should also always store the individual apple varieties separately.
• Before storing, examine the fruit for rot and bruises and sort out these apples.
• Then store the apples stem side down and leave a small space between each apple.
• If you also cover the apples with foil, you increase the humidity.
• At the beginning of storage, checking the apples regularly once a week, later every two to three weeks is sufficient.