Keeping Apples

An apple does not stop changing when it leaves the tree. It continues to breathe, ripen, sweeten and eventually soften. The trick to keeping apples is not stopping that process, but slowing it down.

And the first rule is simple: not all apples are meant to keep.

Some apples are for now. Some are for later.

Early-season apples are usually at their best soon after harvest. They tend to be softer, more delicate and quick to ripen. Apples like Wynoochee Early, Transparent, Discovery and Gravenstein are the ones to enjoy while their season is here.

As we move later into apple season, many varieties become firmer, denser and much better suited to storage.

Then there are the real keepers.

GoldRush, Golden Russet, Roxbury Russet, Northern Spy, Winesap, Calville Blanc d’Hiver, Spartan and Kerr are examples of apples that can hold remarkably well in proper cold storage. Some actually get better. Acidity mellows, flavours deepen and an apple that seems a little sharp in October can become spectacular in December or January.

That is one of the joys of growing so many varieties. Apple season does not necessarily end when the last apple comes off the tree.

The counter is for this week. The fridge is for later.

If you have a bowl of apples on the counter because it looks nice, we approve. Just make it a small bowl.

Keep the apples you plan to eat soon at room temperature and put the rest somewhere cold. Apples ripen and deteriorate much faster when they are warm.

For most homes, the refrigerator is the best apple cellar you already own.

A refrigerator or cold room around 1°C to 4°C is a good place to keep apples for longer periods. The crisper drawer works particularly well. Just do not let them freeze.

Keep them humid, but not wet.

Cold refrigerator air can be quite dry, and apples will slowly lose moisture and begin to shrivel.

A loosely closed or perforated plastic bag helps hold humidity around the fruit while still allowing some airflow. You do not need to wash apples before putting them away. Leave them as they are and wash them when you are ready to eat them.

Be gentle with them.

A bruise is more than a cosmetic problem. Bruised, cut or otherwise damaged apples ripen and deteriorate faster.

If you are putting away a larger supply for later, choose your cleanest and soundest fruit for storage. Eat the imperfect ones first.

It is also worth checking your stored apples every week or two and pulling out anything that is becoming soft, bruised or spoiled.

There is, as it turns out, some truth to the old saying about one bad apple spoiling the barrel.

Give apples their own space.

Apples naturally produce ethylene, a plant hormone that encourages ripening. It is part of the normal ripening process, but it also means apples are not always the best neighbours in your refrigerator or cold room.

Keep stored apples away from potatoes, leafy greens, broccoli and other vegetables that can be affected by ethylene. Potatoes in particular can begin sprouting sooner when stored near apples.

Apples can also absorb strong smells, so onions and garlic are not especially good roommates either.

You can, however, put ethylene to work. If you have a pear, kiwi or other fruit that you want to ripen a little faster, putting it in a paper bag with an apple for a day or two can help things along.

Largest first.

If you have a lot of apples of the same variety, eat the biggest ones first. Larger fruit generally does not store quite as well as smaller, sound fruit.

And if you are buying apples with winter in mind, ask us which varieties are good keepers. Some apples are wonderful straight off the tree. Others are worth tucking away and coming back to later.

Some apples are worth waiting for.