Extend the apple season – try home storage with apples

Leatta Byrd, Michigan State University Extension -

Now is the time to store apples for the cold, winter months.

Michigan has a bumper crop of apples this season. Take advantage of this bonus by buying extra apples and use the home storage process to have apples available for the next several months.

Michigan State University Extension encourages people to eat fresh fruit and eating apples is a tasty, economical way to increase your fruit intake. If you happen to have an extra refrigerator in your garage or basement you have an opportunity to extend the Michigan apple season and be able to enjoy apples for pies, sauces and salads. A frost-free refrigerator is the preferred refrigerator for apple storage.

When selecting your apples, select apples that are not fully ripe and that are free from any decay. Small quantities of apples should be stored in plastic bags with perforation that will allow the air to circulate. For storing large quantities of apples, store in clean crates with good air circulation.

Apples store well between temperature of 30 and 32 degrees Fahrenheit, with a humidity of 90 percent which slows down the ripening of apples. A variety of apples can be kept in a cool cellar but will freeze and decay at a temperature between 27.8 and 29.4 degrees Fahrenheit.

There are specific apples that do well with home storage ranging three to five months. Red delicious and golden delicious are considered the best apples for storage. Other apples that store well include:

  • Enterprise
  • Gold Rush Sir Prize
  • Turley
  • Golden delicious
  • Stayman
  • Idared
  • Winesap
  • Northern Spy
  • Rome
  • Mutsu
  • Granny Smith

For more information on apples and the Michigan apple industry visit http://apples.msu.edu.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

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