Storing Apples.

[locum76]

Hi All.

This might be more for the smallholders but I think it carries weight on this forum as many folk here are intersted in foraged fruits, home grown food etc.

How do you all store your apples? At the farm this year we will be getting the first decent crop on our orchard. The oldest parts of the orchard are 4 year old and we should gete a tonne or two of fruit from it.

There are over thirty varieities of apples, some of which are best stored before eating or, at least, we can store to sell in the late winter.

I'd like advice if possible on how to store them. I know the basics like a dry, cool, well ventilated, darkish space and avoid bruising the apples but what I would like to know about is the best type of baskets/ shelving/ protective wrapping etc.

We'll jam/jelly/ juice any grade 2 apples and flavour them with hips/haws etc so I'm on top of that.

Thanks in advance for any tips.

Yer Man

Rob

 

[wingstoo]

We used to buy apples by the sack full when kids then spend the evening wrapping them in used newspaper, another way is just tissue paper, not paper hankies, and then place in a drawer so they are spaced out and not in contact with others.

Hope that helps.

Wings

 

[JonathanD]

We used to buy apples by the sack full when kids then spend the evening wrapping them in used newspaper, another way is just tissue paper, not paper hankies, and then place in a drawer so they are spaced out and not in contact with others.

Hope that helps.

Wings

How long do they last using this method?

 

[Snowfire]

How long do they last using this method?

It depends on the variety. In my experience the ones that ripen later in the year keep better. My Katy apples, which ripen Aug / Sept don't keep more than a week or so once picked. The Newton's Wonder and Cornish Aromatic, which aren't ready to pick until Nov, will keep until March / April time. There's one variety called the Two Year Apple which allegedly will keep that long - but I've run out of room to plant anymore trees on the allotment.

 

[wingstoo]

They can last months when kept this way, three or four is the norm, but longer can be achieved with selected types of apple.

Wings

Apple storage

More tips

 

[locum76]

Good advices so far.

Last year I only got the very best of the bramleys to last 2 months which is as good as gets for them, the grenadiers don't last at all. Katy, Egremont Russet etc have to be picked and eaten ASAP but some of the others such as the Pippins and Bloody Ploughman can last up to four months when stored in optimum conditions.

Is it worth investing in wooden crates do you think?

Edit: Decent links Wingstoo. they are clear and simple and will be good for me to print out for volunteers to follow.

 

[Hugo]

Is it almost scrumping time again already.
Yummy, apple pie on the menu.

 

[British Red]

You don't need special crates...or (in my experience) paper. The key is not to let them touch and keep air between them. Them stacking plastic crates from farm shops (blue ones) with a few bits of cereal box in between the apples works well. Cool though....cool, cool cool. Vermin free too. Easy enough to make slat shelves out of pallets sloping to the front. Line up first row of apples, put a piece of lath in along the row add another row, another lath etc.

Red

 

[Miyagi]

Good advices so far.

Last year I only got the very best of the bramleys to last 2 months which is as good as gets for them, the grenadiers don't last at all. Katy, Egremont Russet etc have to be picked and eaten ASAP but some of the others such as the Pippins and Bloody Ploughman can last up to four months when stored in optimum conditions.

Is it worth investing in wooden crates do you think?

Edit: Decent links Wingstoo. they are clear and simple and will be good for me to print out for volunteers to follow.

I can't wait.

No, really, I can't...

I won't be able to sleep for the excitement.

How many sleeps?

 

[Miyagi]

Double post thing again Tony.

Unless it's the excitement...

 

[locum76]

I can't wait.

No, really, I can't...

I won't be able to sleep for the excitement.

How many sleeps?

You can sleep in the barn to keep the vermin off 'em.

BR: we've got loads of blue crates, I was worried the edges wuold bruise them, I might line them with brown paper though.

 

[British Red]

Or ask your local greengrocer for those simpled carboard liners like big egg boxes and cut to fit. Or snag some big lumps of polystyrene from your local comet or appliance store......

 

[locum76]

Might go for the liners, polystyrene seems a bit plecky. Some of the shops we sell to might have some.

 

[JonathanD]

I can't wait.

No, really, I can't...

I won't be able to sleep for the excitement.

How many sleeps?

Not many sleeps left here in the Mids. More sleeps for you up there though, contain yourself.