Apples

[Sainthaze]

I wonder if any of you have had experience of storing apples?

I am about to buy and plant some fruit trees and would love to know which are the best varieties for storing during the winter months and also how do you do it?

When I was small, my parents owned a couple of orchards and tried to store apples by wrapping them in newspaper and stacking them in boxes, but I don't think the success rate was that great as one or two would go off and then the whole box would suffer as a consequence.

[woodsitter]

Cider!

[Stew]

I don't think it would stay stored for long like that!
:-D

[Sainthaze]

Good call!

How's about Stewed apples - t'would be good for sitting in the wood!

Seriously though, I would appreciate a little help if it's out there.

Cheers guys :lol:

[Stew]

A quick search gave me
this (http://www.msue.msu.edu/msue/imp/mod01/01600656.html)

and

this (http://eesc.orst.edu/agcomwebfile/edmat/html/fs/fs147/fs147.html)

which seem to have reasonable info.

[Ed]

Apples should be stored in boxes with good ventilation (not wrapped in paper.... though some people wrap them in plasic for humidty/flavor). Place in the shed or an unheated garage. An old fridge might do the trick on the cold front ;-)
I have found they don't store that well.
You can always have a go at pickling them :-)


12 large apples (of the eating kind.... not cooking)
450 ml cider vinegar
120 ml honey
Herbs/spices to taste

1. place honey and vinegar in a pan and warm on a gental heat till the honey has desolved.... then .... bring to the boil and simmer for 2 mins.

2. peel and core the apples and cut into chunks. Put the chunks into the honey and vinegar and simmer till the apples are tender but not mushy. (about 6-10 mins depending on the size of your chunks)

3. place into sterile jars.... add herbs (have a look in some cookbooks to see what herbs go well with apple.... allspice seems to be ok).... top up to the brim with the vinegar and honey juice and seal the jar tightly.

4. store in a cold dark place for about a week before trying ;-)

Have fun and enjoy your food

:-)
Ed

[ditchfield]

We've always stored apples and pears loosly wrapped in newspaper and stacked in fruit boxes in the shed. It seems to work fine :-?.

[Andy]

we store them in thoughs shaped carboard things in boxs in a cool place but check them to make sure you don't get bad ones sending the others bad. we mostly stew and freeze now though

[Andy]

did you know that apples are better at waking you up in a morning then coffee.

[Lithril]

Fruit give off a chemical (I think its Ethylene, have to look a uni notes) which will cause other fruit in the area to ripen faster, so if one goes off, the others will follow.

If you want to test this theory put a ripe banana in with a load of green ones...they'll ripen within days.

[EdS]

I've just am apple press form a local antique/ salvage place for £25 - bargin.

Looks like I'll be going for the cider route with our excess apples.

[Sainthaze]

Thanks everybody (even the Cider drinkers), and especially Ed for your replies, they're really useful.

Haze