Store Those Apples

Best way to store apples

Most of our apples went bad when we stored them last year. What is the best way to make sure they last? And which varieties store best?

The first rule is to store only perfect fruit. The tiniest wasp hole, even a pinprick, is enough to cause rotting. Any bruising is also fatal and it is particularly important to store fruit when it is completely dry.

Rain or dew on the skin should be carefully dried off or gather your fruit on a breezy, dry day. All apples must be handled gently and any that are dropped or knocked, should be put aside for quick consumption.
I think it is worth wrapping individual fruits in newspaper and storing these in large boxes or trays in the dark in the coolest spot available. Examine them from time to time, removing any that show signs of rotting and make sure pests such as mice can’t get at them.

Mid-season and late varieties tend to store more easily than earlier ones. ‘Bramley’s Seedling’ are among the best cookers, for keeping, but I used to grow ‘Blenheim Orange’ for late harvest and excellent keeping qualities.

Among dessert varieties, I like ‘Egremont Russet’ which tastes sweet and wholesome, even when wrinkled. ‘James Grieve’, as a dual purpose fruit also stores. ‘Spartan’ is sweet and crunchy and stores moderately.