How to properly keep apples fresh for the winter at home

There are many ways and rules for storing apples for the winter at home. At the first stage, good fruits are selected, a place and storage container are selected. Fresh fruits contain a vitamin complex necessary for human health. Therefore, it is important to comply with certain conditions in order to preserve nutrients for a long time. But not all apple varieties are intended for winter storage.

What varieties of apples can be stored in winter?

For long-term storage, mainly only winter varieties of apples are suitable: Golden, Antonovka, Simirenko, Melba, Idared, Zhigulevskoe. Harvesting from these apple trees begins at the end of September and ends until October 9. During this period, the fruits gain sugar content and fully ripen. You should not collect them earlier or later than the due date. At temperatures from -2 to +3 degrees, fruits remain fresh for 6.5 months, while the taste and benefits are preserved.

Autumn varieties of apples are stored for less time - about two months, provided that the air temperature in the storage is 0 degrees. Popular autumn apple varieties include: McIntosh, Spartak.

Necessary conditions for safety

To preserve the taste and benefits of fresh fruits for a long time, certain conditions are created. Particular attention is paid to the container in which the fruits will be stored, the temperature and humidity level in the room, as well as the timing of harvesting:

• The optimal temperature limits for storing the harvested crop are within -3...+4 degrees. With such cool air, apples do not freeze and do not spoil for a long time.
• You can choose wooden or plastic boxes or wicker baskets as containers for storing the harvest. The main thing is that there are many holes around the entire perimeter of the container. Do not store in iron containers.

First, large fruits are placed at the bottom of the selected container; at the very top there should be a row of small apples. By following this rule, it is possible to avoid damage due to the pressure of heavy weight.

Advice.Do not store apples near potatoes. You should not choose straw for storage; it imparts an unpleasant taste and smell to the fruit, and also reduces shelf life.

A properly organized place is the key to a long shelf life of the harvested crop without diseases, pests and rotting.

Sorting

It is advisable to collect fruits that will be sent for winter storage manually. A fruit collector will help you cope with a large amount of harvest. Each picked apple should be inspected from all sides. There should be no dark spots, damage or traces of pests. Such fruits can be dried by first cutting off the damaged part.

Selection of apples for storage involves several stages:

1. Inspection of the surface of apples and detection of spoiled specimens.
2. Selected fruits are placed in a cool place for 10 days.
3. After being in a cool room, a repeat inspection is carried out.
4. At this stage, a container for placing the fruit is selected.

Advice. It is not recommended to remove the stem from apples, as it helps to increase the shelf life of the product.

Storage locations

The best place to store crops is a cellar, basement, pantry, attic or balcony. The main thing is to maintain optimal temperature and humidity so that the apples do not freeze or, conversely, rot from the heat. The humidity level in the room where the crop is stored should be maintained at 86-95%.

Treatment

Apples have a waxy layer on their surface that naturally protects them from damage by pests and disease. But some experienced summer residents play it safe and carry out additional processing:

• You can treat it with an alcohol solution based on propolis. 20 g of propolis are diluted in 100 ml of alcohol.The product is first placed in the refrigerator to make it easier to chop using a grater.
• It is recommended to hold the apples for a few seconds in a solution of calcium chloride. Only after this treatment, the fruits are thoroughly washed with warm water and soap before consumption.
• Each fruit is thoroughly lubricated with glycerin. After complete drying, they begin to place in the prepared container.
• It is useful to dip each fruit in melted paraffin. In this form they will lie for many months, maintaining their juiciness and taste.

By spending a little more time and effort on pre-treatment, gardeners will get a good result that will delight all family members and guests all winter long.

Optimal humidity and temperature

It is important to know at what temperature it is possible to preserve all the useful microelements and the taste of the pulp. As already mentioned, the optimal temperature is considered to be 0 degrees. The acceptable lower limits are considered to be -4 degrees, and the upper limits are +4 degrees.

At air temperatures above +4 degrees, the fruits begin to release a special substance in large quantities - ethylene. This causes early damage to the crop. If the temperature is too low, below -2 degrees, the pulp freezes.

The humidity in the room should be high. Ideally, humidity should be between 85-95%. If the fruit becomes limp, a container of water should be brought into the room where the crop is stored.

Where to store fruits at home

Each summer resident chooses independently where it is more convenient for him to store the harvest. This could be a separate barn, cellar, basement. If such premises are not available, a storage room, insulated balcony or loggia is suitable.

On the balcony and loggia

The harvest collected from apple trees can be successfully stored on the balcony and loggia, but provided that they are glazed. If the balcony is insulated, then drawers and racks are quite suitable for storage. They take up little space and hold a lot of fruit.

Racks look like shelves attached to the wall on which drawers are placed. A good option is shelving with drawers.

In the closet, hallway, on the windowsill

In an apartment, you can store the harvested crops in boxes, but you will need to allocate a lot of space for them. Therefore, the best option would be to distribute the apples in plastic bags. Place no more than 2 kg of product in each bag and make holes for air.

In a refrigerator

A refrigerator is considered a convenient and simple option for storing fruit. Winter varieties can be stored for up to several months. The only problem that summer residents face is the small size of the refrigerator and the lack of a sufficient number of compartments in it.

Rules for storing apples in the refrigerator:

• the crop should be moved immediately after harvesting;
• fruits do not need to be pre-washed or wiped;
• the fruits are sorted into 3 kg plastic bags;
• holes are made in the bags for ventilation;
• Each variety has its own conditions and shelf life, so they cannot be mixed.

If there is a need for longer storage, then heat treatment is carried out first. The fruits are kept indoors at 28 degrees for three days. These conditions contribute to the removal of ethylene from the pulp.

In the cellar

The cellar has the best conditions for long-term storage of apples for the winter, but it must be prepared first:

• the entire room inside the cellar (walls, floors, drawers) is disinfected;
• It is better to whitewash the walls;
• remove plant debris and other debris;
• provide sufficient air permeability inside;
• set the desired temperature and humidity.

Advice. If the air humidity in the cellar is high, then install a tub of lime. At low humidity, it is recommended to place containers with water.

In the freezer

You can store fruits in the freezer whole or chopped:

• The apples as a whole are washed, dried, and the core and stalk are removed. Frozen product is more suitable for adding to baked goods.
• Frozen product in the form of slices is suitable for various baked goods. The peel can be peeled or left on.
• A good option would be to make applesauce and then freeze it.

Frozen fruits retain 90% of their beneficial components, provided that all rules have been followed.

In boxes

A simple storage option is to place the harvest in boxes made of plastic or wood with a large number of holes to allow air to pass through. The bottom of the box is lined with white paper, on which the apples are carefully laid out. It is advisable to repeat the layer of paper after each row. It is allowed to lay in 5-8 rows.

On the racks

A convenient option is to place the collected apples on racks. This option is especially suitable for summer residents who have reaped a large harvest. It would be better if the racks can be pulled out.

Ways to pack apples for winter storage

There are many ways to arrange apples for the winter. Each gardener chooses the most convenient and suitable option. The basic rule is that every 12-14 days you need to check the harvest collected for storage and remove damaged fruit in a timely manner.

Wrapping in paper

The method in which each apple is wrapped in newspaper or paper will take more time, but the spoiled product will not affect its neighbors. When placing in containers, you need to make sure that the stalk is turned up.The box can be of any depth, as long as it is breathable. It is permissible to make from 6 to 8 rows.

Sprinkling with sand

Sprinkling apples with sand will prevent them from freezing. Dry and clean sand is poured into a cardboard box. It is advisable to mix it with ash. The height of the embankment should be at least 3 cm. Then the apples are laid out so that the sides do not touch. Cover again with a layer of sand and ash. Up to three rows of collected fruit are allowed in a box.

Apples are stored well in onion peels, wood shavings, dry birch leaves, and you can also choose moss. Each row of apples is sprinkled with the selected component.

The additional layer allows you to maintain temperature and humidity at the same recommended level. In addition, the smell of these components repels pests and protects against many infections.

In polyethylene

Good reviews about the option of storing apples in polyethylene. The material allows you to maintain juiciness and sugar content in the pulp due to slower gas exchange. No more than 4.5 kg of apples are placed in each plastic bag. Then, with a sharp object, several holes are made across the entire surface of the bag to allow air to penetrate.

You can first distribute the apples on a thick tray and place the harvest together with it in a plastic bag.

Causes of premature spoilage and methods to combat them

To prolong the freshness and taste of the collected fruits for a long time, follow a number of recommendations:

• It is advisable to pick fruits by hand, starting from the lower tier of the tree;
• it is important to follow the recommended collection times;
• apples intended for long-term storage are harvested 1.5 weeks before full ripening;
• harvest in dry, clear weather;
• you cannot pick the stalk;
• The surface protective layer on the fruit should not be washed off.

The following unfavorable factors can lead to premature rotting of products:

• improper application of fertilizers (failure to comply with dosage and timing);
• excess nitrogen and potassium in the soil;
• lack of calcium in fruits;
• getting damaged, rotten, infected specimens into the container with the harvest;
• cold summer, long rains;
• failure to comply with storage conditions.

Apples must be properly collected, selected, processed and placed in special containers. The conditions must also meet basic requirements. In this case, it will be possible to extend the shelf life of the product.

Shelf life of apples

How long the crop will be stored depends on many factors: the variety, temperature and humidity in the room, the harvesting method and the quality of the fruits themselves:

• Summer varieties of apples are stored for no more than a month, but provided that the temperature is from +3 to +7 degrees.
• Autumn species retain their qualities for two months, but only at temperatures from 0 to +6 degrees.
• Winter varieties of apples retain their taste, juiciness and benefits for 6.5 months. The temperature should not be lower than -4 degrees and higher than +4 degrees.

Apples cut into pieces will last more than 11 hours in the refrigerator. You can extend the time if you place the slices in a plastic bag with holes. In the bag, the appearance of the cut pieces will not deteriorate within 24 hours.

The shelf life is affected by the degree of maturity of the harvested crop. Unripe fruits will last for more than 4 months if the required temperature is maintained. Ripe fruits begin to deteriorate after just a few weeks. At temperatures above +10 degrees, any apples begin to wither.