What is the shelf life of apples and how to increase it?

Apples are healthy and tasty, but only when fresh. The crop harvested in the fall can be enjoyed all winter long.

However, not all apples are stored for a long time. Some varieties are only a few months old, so the storage duration differs from the type of variety, as well as from the nuances of storage.

For the shelf life of apples (fresh, baked, etc.) of different varieties, read the article.

How many are stored?

The shelf life of apples differs depending on the variety and method of processing. Winter fruits stay fresh longer, but the summer harvest can also be saved for several months. Much depends on storage conditions and ambient temperature... A lot of useful and important information about storing apples can be found here.

Winter

Winter varieties at temperatures from 0 to +1 degrees, they will remain fresh for 6-8 months. Cellar is the best place to store them.

Key recommendations:

1. You need to pick fruits from the branches, you should not wait until they begin to fall to the ground.
2. Before being sent for wintering, the fruits are sorted, rotten specimens are removed.
3. The apples are packed in bags, making several small holes in it. You can put them in clean, disinfected boxes and sprinkle them with sawdust, calcined sand or onion peels.
4. The prepared fruits are harvested for wintering.
5. Apples need to be viewed every 2-3 weeks.

Winter varieties do not taste great immediately after picking them from the tree. They ripen during storage, gaining sweetness and aroma.

Autumn

Fall apples are harvested when they actually mature. The average duration of their storage at temperatures from 0 to +3 degrees is 3 months... Such fruits are juicy, sweet and aromatic.

Autumn apples are not poured into the cellar. They actively emit ethylene gas, which can spoil nearby vegetables. Store the crop in the refrigerator, in the lower compartment, or on loggias.

Tips to help extend the shelf life of autumn fruits:

1. Medium-sized fruits are selected for storage, not broken or wrinkled.
2. Each apple is wrapped in parchment or paper napkin and folded close to each other.
3. Harvested for storage in the refrigerator or on a glazed balcony.

The stalk must not be removed from autumn apples. Its absence will lead to rapid decay of the fruit.

How long can you keep dried?

Dehydrated Apples stored for up to 10 months... The fruits are dried in the oven, in the electric dryer and in the microwave.

Regardless of the way in which moisture has been removed from them, they have the same storage requirements.

Dried wedges require the following conditions:

• fresh air access;
• dryness;
• purity;
• darkness;
• absence of insects and products with a pronounced odor.

Store dried fruit recommended in a cool room at temperatures up to +10 degrees. The best container for them is a cloth bag.

For storing dehydrated slices you can use cardboard and wooden boxes, wicker baskets, re-lined with wax paper... You can place them in glass jars closed with nylon lids.

Fresh peeled

Peeled fruits are stored in the refrigerator for no longer than 12 hours. They need to be removed under cling film to slow down the oxidation of the pulp. Additionally, they are sprinkled with lemon juice.

The skinless fruit can be stored in the freezer.

Procedure:

1. Peel and core the fruit.
2. Place whole fruit in a bag and tie tightly.
3. Turn on the freezer at full power.
4. Remove packages on the top shelf.
5. After 2 hours, move the toggle switch that controls the operation of the freezer to its usual position.

Before shock freezing and skinning, apples must be washed. The core of whole fruits is removed with a special knife. If not, use a conventional 5 ml syringe, from which a thin base is cut off.

Baked

Baked apples are a delicious and healthy dessert prepared in the oven or microwave. The product has a short shelf life, so you need to eat it right away.

If necessary, the fruit is stored in the refrigerator, in a plastic container for no more than a day... Even if during this time the product does not deteriorate, it will acquire an unpleasant taste.

Standing baked apples run off and shrivel, so it is best to eat them warm.

Chopped

Chopped fruit is eaten immediately. Apples without peels darken quickly. If after a feast there are several unfinished slices left, then they can be removed to the refrigerator by covering the plate with cling film. You need to eat them within 12 hours.

Sometimes housewives store chopped apples in the freezer. Prepare them as follows:

1. Wash apples, core. You can leave the skin.
2. Fruits are cut into slices or quarters.
3. Put them in a bag and tie it tightly, expelling excess air.
4. Placed in a freezer.

So that you do not have to defrost all the apples at once, the blanks need to be made small. Read about whether it is possible to store apples in the refrigerator and how to do it correctly in article.

How to extend the shelf life of a fruit when laying for the winter?

Various substances help to extend the shelf life of apples. They are used to process whole, uncut fruits so that they do not spoil. It is better to use those formulations that are not harmful to the human body, even if accidentally swallowed.

Treatment

Before storing fruits in the cellar, they can be disinfected by means such as:

1. Glycerol. It is applied to a cloth, which is used to wipe the skin of each fruit.
2. Calcium chloride 4%... The holding time of the fruits is 1 minute.
3. A weak solution of potassium permanganate... They are sprayed with fruit and left to dry naturally.
4. Propolis alcohol solution... Alcohol and propolis are taken in a 1: 5 ratio.
5. Paraffin. They process only the place of fixation of the stalk to the fruit.

Before eating processed fruits, they must be thoroughly washed in hot water. Read about the methods of processing apples before winter storage here.

Helpful information

Although apples are not perishable, they the shelf life can be significantly reduced if the following information is not taken into account:

1. The earlier the harvested apples are sent to the permanent storage site, the better. They deteriorate very quickly at room temperature.
2. It is necessary to put the fruits in a container carefully so that dents do not appear on them.
3. Different varieties of apples are kept separately from each other.
4. Apples absorb odors. This must be taken into account when choosing a storage location.

Conclusion

The shelf life of apples differs depending on their variety and on the method of pretreatment. To keep the fruit as long as possible, it must be kept cool. They deteriorate quickly at room temperature.