apples

[shonacashmo]

What's the best way of storing apples if you've got too many?

[MCC06]

You can freeze eating apples without blanching, but cookers will discolour. To freeze, core and slice the apples, and then rinse them in a large bowl filled with the juice of one lemon and a pint of water, then open freeze on a baking tray. Once they're hard, store in a plastic container in the freezer for up to three months. Defrost at room temperature.

[homer]

Late maturing varieties of apples will store for use throughout the winter if the fruit is hard, mature and in good condition. Don't pick them too green - this causes various problems - and mature apples can over-ripen in storage. Cool as quickly as possible after harvest for best results. For most varieties of apples, the optimum storage temperature is 30 to 32 degrees Fahrenheit with a 90% relative humidity. Higher storage temperatures reduce the storage life considerably. Apples can be stored outdoors in insulated boxes or straw-lined pits or buried containers as long as the outside temperatures are above 10 degrees Fahrenheit. They will last longer and retain more flavor if kept in a fruit cellar in plastic bags or in cardboard boxes lined with plastic sheets. However, the cardboard box and plastic bags or liners must be perforated to allow air circulation. If the fruits are individually wrapped in tissue paper or newspaper before being placed in boxes or baskets, better results will be achieved. Plastic liners help maintain high humidity and prevent the apples from being affected by the surrounding air.