Back in November I tried this little experiment for storing apples and it’s working great so far!
I have two apple trees on my property, so I end up with a TON of apples around November. I didn’t want to can or freeze them so I tried this crating method. It’s simple, you just need a crate or cardboard box, Kraft paper, I just cut up a bunch of grocery bags, a clean rag, and apples!
You only want the apples that are unbruised. I’ve found that a little bit of scarring isn’t a problem but bruised apples will decay fast. One bad apple will literally spoil the bunch.
Wrap them as best as you can in the craft paper and place them in the crate. Apples produce ethylene gas which causes them and any produce around them to decay. So, separating them with paper helps slow that process down. Apples like being stored at 30 to 35 degrees Fahrenheit and 90% humidity. If you live in a cold place you could store these in a garage or a cellar. I’ll be putting them in my spare fridge. To bring the humidity up I just throw a damp rag over the crate and re-wet it every four days or so. I’ve been storing these apples for 3 months and they are still crunchy and sweet. Now you know one more way to go about apple storage.
Note: you could also use this method in the crisper in your fridge! Just make sure you don’t put any other produce in with the apples.
