The Winter Solstice Approaches

The Best Way to Store Apples So They Last All Month

updated Sep 21, 2020

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(Image credit: Christine Gallary )

Fall is peak apple season, with many of us trekking to local orchards to pick the cream of the crop for eating and baking with all season long. Fresh-picked apples have an extraordinarily long shelf life when stored correctly, which makes them worth stocking up on in September to eat well into October. Assuming you won’t be able to eat through your apple-picking haul within a week, here’s what you need to know about storing apples to make them last longer.

How to Store Apples for the Longest Shelf Life

Unless you plan to cook or eat your apples within a week, don’t leave them on the kitchen counter. A better bet is a dark, humid, and cold environment (30 to 35 degrees F) that will keep your apples fresh, juicy, and flavorful. The crisper drawer of your fridge works well. In a pinch (and in colder climates), you can store apples loosely covered in your garage or a cold basement.

Apples continue to ripen even after they are picked. They put off a substance called ethylene gas that continues to soften the skin and flesh day after day. Keeping apples cold helps to slow the emission of this gas, so place them in the bottom crisper drawer in the refrigerator to keep them cool. The same gas that ripens apples will also ripen other fruits and vegetables. If it’s possible, it’s best to keep them separate from other produce, which is another reason the crisper drawer is ideal.

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As soon as you cut into an apple, the flesh starts to slowly turn brown from the oxygen in the air. A little acid, such as lemon juice or vinegar, will help to slow that process, but there’s no stopping it. Keep them whole until just before you eat or use them in a recipe for the best shelf life.

Lisa Appleton

Contributor

Lisa is a recipe writer at Blue Apron. She was formerly an editor with Better Homes and Gardens branded food magazines. She is an alumna of The Culinary Institute of America and The University of Missouri. She lives in Brooklyn.

Source : food