How to keep apples fresh for the winter at home

They say eating an apple a day can help protect against many ailments. It's true. Ripe apples contain essential components that help the body stay healthy. After a bountiful harvest, you want to enjoy them fresh for as long as possible. Today, we'll discuss how to preserve fresh apples at home, preserves, and appropriate storage conditions.

Preparing apples for storage

Late and mid-late apple varieties are best for long-term storage. Under optimal conditions, the fruit can last until spring.

The fruits should be picked from the trees, stems included, in dry weather. The harvest is carefully placed in prepared containers.

Fallen apples are most likely overripe, damaged, or rotten. They are not suitable for long-term storage and should be used immediately.

The fruits are carefully sorted. Damaged, diseased, and overripe fruits are removed. Firm, healthy fruits with tight skins should be selected for storage.

Different apples have different shelf lives, so separate the varieties. This makes it easier to determine which ones will spoil first and should be consumed first.

Methods for long-term storage of apples

How to keep apples fresh for the winter? A basement or cellar is perfect for this.

Optimal storage conditions in the basement

The room temperature should fluctuate between -1°C and +3°C. At this temperature, the ethylene released from the fruit will be released more slowly, and the harvest will last longer.

Suitable humidity for storage should be between 85-95%.

Preparing the premises

The basement where the fruits will be stored must meet the following requirements:

1. The cellar height should be at least 2.3 m. If the room is too low, condensation will form on the ceiling, which will affect humidity and ultimately the shelf life of the fruit.
2. The floor in the basement cannot be concreted, it must be wooden or brick.
3. The walls should be whitewash Lime solution. If the room is damp, potassium chloride should be placed there; this substance can absorb excess moisture.
4. The basement walls must be disinfected by whitewashing with freshly slaked lime (one and a half kilograms) mixed with copper sulfate (150 grams) and liquid (10 l).
5. The room must have natural or forced ventilation.

How to keep apples fresh longer in a basement? To do this, use the following containers:

• wooden boxes;
• cardboard boxes;
• lattice plastic chests;
• shelving.

Apples can be individually wrapped in paper or sprinkled with dry river sand.

If you're storing fruit in boxes, don't just pour them out, arrange them in rows. When storing on racks, sprinkle the apples with oiled shavings.

Storing the harvest in plastic film is also possible. To do this, place two layers of film in the box, one along the length of the box and one across the width. Arrange the apples in an even layer. Then place the film on top, covering the top fruits.

Cold storage

Apples spoil faster in the refrigerator than when stored in the basement. For safe storage, follow these guidelines:

1. The collected fruits must be placed in the fruit box within 12 hours of collection.
2. Purchased apples should be stored immediately.
3. There is no need to wash the fruits before placing them in fridge.
4. It is recommended to package different varieties in bags.
5. Each apple can be wrapped in parchment.

Storage in an apartment

How to store fresh apples in your apartment during the winter? You can make a special insulated box for this purpose.

Take two boxes of different sizes, including some foam or other insulation (foam, cotton wool, sawdust). Place the smaller box inside the larger one, filling the gap with insulation. Then, place the foam and apples in the smaller box and cover it. Cover it with foam, and your "winter apartment" for the fruit is ready. Now the fruit won't freeze. The insulated box can be placed on a glassed-in balcony.

Additional methods for keeping apples fresh

Now let's talk about possible methods of storing apples at home.

Drying apples

Another way to preserve fresh apples is by using a different method. While the flavor of dried apples will be different, if properly dried, they retain their natural flavor. useful properties.

The shelf life of dried apples is quite long (up to 35 months) with a maximum humidity of up to 50%.

Dry products are stored:

• in dry glass jars;
• in canvas bags;
• in paper bags.

Storage: Any kitchen cabinet. Before drying, wash the apples and cut them into small pieces.

What is the correct way? dry:

1. Natural drying (outdoors, but in light shade) – place the pieces on a flat surface or hang them on a string, cover with gauze to prevent insects from infesting. Drying time is approximately 20–30 days. The ideal temperature range is between 20°C and 25°C.
2. Dry the fruit in the oven for 5–8 hours. The initial temperature should be at least 40°C (104°F) for three hours. Leave the oven door slightly ajar to allow moisture to evaporate. Then increase the temperature to 60–70°C (140–158°F).
3. Set the dryer's cycle according to the equipment. This method is quite fast, as you can load several trays at a time.

Freezing apples

You can use the freezer to store fruit. However, it won't keep fruit whole in the freezer; it will need to be prepared properly:

• wash under running water;
• dry on a towel;
• cut out the core with seeds;
• cut the fruit into pieces;
• put into plastic bags.

Next, set the freezer temperature to -22°C and freeze the fruit for three hours. Then, raise the temperature to -18°C. This way, the fruit will last for twelve months.

To keep apples from losing their flavor for longer freshness, it is recommended to store them in cool places. Quite often, lower temperatures are enough to keep the fruit fresh for several weeks, but if you take some additional measures, you can extend the shelf life to several months.