Growing a rich apple harvest is only half the battle, and the other half is preserving the harvest. But many owners of land or summer cottages do not always have a cool basement or cellar. Most have to bring the harvested apples to an ordinary city apartment and store them in every possible way.
Of course, everyone wants apples to be stored longer and not spoil. And here the questions arise: What is the most suitable place in the apartment for storing these fruits? Maybe the apples need to be subjected to some kind of processing?
Try to choose whichever storage method works best for you - traditional or non-traditional.
Basic rules for storing apples
In order for fruits or vegetables to remain fresh and undamaged for a long time, certain storage rules must be observed. For apples, such rules also exist.
Rule 1
Each apple belongs to a specific variety. Among the varieties of apples can be distinguished: summer, autumn and winter varieties. Each of them has its own shelf life. Summer apple varieties will retain their taste and appearance for a short time, a maximum of 15 days. And no cool place will help them. Autumn varieties are suitable for short storage. They will remain fresh and attractive for about 2 months. Winter varieties are the most retaining all their positive qualities for 7-8 months. The skin of such apples is dense and thick, and it is also covered with a protective natural waxy coating.
Conclusion: choose only winter apples for long-term storage.
Rule 2
Apples are tender fruits, they do not like sudden temperature fluctuations. Do not carry boxes with these fruits from one room to another and vice versa. Changing a warm room to a cold one and vice versa will lead to a large number of spoiled apples.
Rule 3
When choosing winter varieties of apples for storage, remember that a wax coating on them is their protection. It is not desirable to damage this plaque. You need to pick apples carefully, preferably together with the stalks. Harvesting these fruits should be done when they are not yet fully ripe. During the long storage period, they will gradually mature.
Rule 4
Apples release large amounts of ethylene during storage. This substance acts on all fruits and vegetables nearby. They ripen very quickly and start to deteriorate. And the apples themselves do not change for the better either: they become less juicy, and their pulp turns into gruel.
Conclusion: it is better to store apples in a separate room.
Methods for storing apples in an apartment
Fruits such as apples keep well in a cold room. In a city apartment, such a room can only be a balcony, a loggia or a storage room with the possibility of ventilation. The most favorable temperature is from 2 ° C to 5 ° C. There are several storage methods - widely known and not so well known.
Storing apples in a thermobox
Such a storage place can be made independently and kept on the balcony throughout the entire winter period, regardless of whether the balcony is glazed or not. In such a box, a constant temperature required by the fruit will be maintained. It will become a reliable protection against sudden frosts.
To make it, you will need some materials:
- 2 cardboard boxes of different sizes
- Styrofoam approximately 5 centimeters thick
- Any insulation (foam waste, wood shavings or sawdust, polyurethane foam or ordinary rags)
Boxes need to be selected such that between the smaller and larger (when stacking one into the other) there is a gap of about fifteen centimeters. This gap is then tightly filled with the prepared insulation. The foam should be placed on the bottom of the smaller box, and the apples should be carefully placed on it until the container is full. Then the top of the box is closed and another layer of foam is placed on top. After that, it remains to close the large box and cover it with a thick warm cloth (for example, an old blanket).
This reliable and proven apple storage area has only one drawback - difficult access to the fruit.
Storing apples in paper
This method is not suitable for those who have harvested a huge harvest. It is ideal for those with fewer apples. Each apple is carefully and neatly wrapped in paper. This can be newspaper, napkins, plain white printing paper, and other options. Wrapped apples are placed in prepared wooden or plastic boxes, cardboard boxes.
Storing apples in polyethylene
For this method, plastic cling film is suitable, as well as bags of different sizes. You can stack fruits in different ways:
- Spread the plastic wrap in the box so that the edges hang down. When the container is filled to the top, you need to cover the top of the box with these hanging edges according to the "envelope" principle.
- Each apple is placed in a small plastic bag and tied tightly. These small bags are folded into a large box and taken out to a cool place. Before packing, it is advisable to keep the fruit in the cold for two hours.
- You can put apples in a large transparent plastic bag. A small cotton swab dipped in vinegar or alcohol should be left inside the bag. After that, the bag is tightly tied. Air should not penetrate inside.
This method increases the shelf life by emitting carbon dioxide from the fruit. When the required concentration is established inside the bag or bag, metabolic processes stop in apples and the fruits do not deteriorate for a long time.
After storage in polyethylene, apples can then be stored for a long time in an ordinary tightly closed suitcase in a cool room.
Processing apples before storage
This way of processing apples will be appreciated only by courageous gardeners. Various types of fruit processing extend their shelf life. This process is for patient people, since each apple needs to be processed for a long time (soak, dry, spread and even irradiate). Maybe someone wants to experiment with this. We offer several ways:
- Before putting the apples for storage, each of them must be greased with glycerin.
- You need to prepare a mixture of 500 grams of alcohol and 100 grams of propolis tincture. Each fruit is completely dipped in this mixture, and then allowed to dry well.
- Get 2% calcium chloride solution from your pharmacy. Dip each apple into it for one minute.
- Get a 5% salicylic acid solution from your pharmacy. Dip each apple in this solution for a few seconds.
- Melt the beeswax or paraffin wax to a liquid state. Holding the apple by the tail, immerse it completely in this liquid, then let it dry well and send it to storage. Fruit processed in this way is best stored in boxes filled with sawdust.
- Apples are stacked in prepared containers in layers.Each layer must be irradiated with a germicidal ultraviolet lamp for 30 minutes from a distance of 1.5 meters. This will prevent the development of diseases associated with rotting apples.
Use at least one of the suggested methods and you will see how easy it is to keep apples in your apartment.
