How to save apples for the winter at home, the best ways and when

Gathering a rich harvest is half the battle. How to properly store apples for the winter at home, how to choose containers and a good place - the answer to this question will help preserve the taste and goodness of the fruit as much as possible. Not all varieties tolerate wintering well, you need to be able to choose the right fruits with good keeping quality, create optimal conditions for them for long-term storage.

Features of apple storage

Fruits by varieties are divided into:

Winter. Golden, Idared, Jonathan, Renet, Antonovka. Retains marketable qualities for 4-7 months. The optimal temperature regime is 0.
Summer. Does not differ in maintaining quality.They are stored in disinfected and dried boxes made of natural materials for a maximum of 1.5-2 months. If the temperature rises above 12, they begin to quickly dry out, wrinkle and lose their taste.
Autumn. Spartak, Macintosh. They stay 45-60 days, until April, when creating optimal conditions in basements, cellars, on the balcony.
Immature. Stored for several months. If you select the right varieties correctly, they will last until spring remaining crispy.

You can tell if the apples are ripe by the first fruits that fell to the ground in September. If they fall in calm, warm weather at night, it is time to harvest.

Important factors for winter storage

For long-term storage, mature varieties are selected.

Requirements:

Pick fruit that is not exposed to nitrogen, high temperatures during ripening. These factors negatively affect the maintenance of product quality and density.
Create a favorable climate in the basement, apartment, cellar.
Collect in calm weather, placing in previously prepared containers. The rods must not be damaged.
First place in a cool place for 15 days to identify damaged, diseased fruit.
Select mature from immature, overripe. Healthy apples should be free from the slightest damage and rot.
Separate by varieties, sizes. Lie down the way you choose for safety, wrapping each apple in plastic wrap to keep air out.
Sprinkle the onion skins over the empty spaces of the crates.

Variety

Late varieties keep better. In addition, in winter they will acquire a rich taste.

Antonovka

Differs in increased keeping quality when kept in a shed, on a glazed balcony.First, you need to quarantine yourself, after spending 2 weeks in a dark room.

Bogatyr

Winter apples ripen at the end of September. Shelf life - 6-7 months.

Star

Will not change taste and color for 5-6 months.

Renet Simirenko

High yielding sweet variety, record holder for shelf life.

synap north

The period of ripening of peeled fruits corresponds to the last days of October. Keeping life is 5-6 months.

saffron seed

The shelf life is 210-220 days. Harvest - in early September, the fruits ripen after harvest in 2-3 months.

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Renet Chernenko

Late class. Will remain for over 200 days, subject to storage rules.

Sinap Orlovsky

When taken, apples weighing 160 g are yellow-green. When they go to bed, it takes on a golden yellow hue. Resists frost down to -28 degrees. The harvest is removed in October before the first frosts. At first, the fruit is hard and sour. When they lay down for 2 months, it's better.

Welsey

Moderately hardy and early variety with notes of pineapple. Differs in long shelf life, transportability. Apples rest well in winter until February.

Veteran

Elite bedding quality. Stored for a long time in ventilated wooden containers.

Memory of Michourin

Beautiful fragrant apples at the end of winter. They will rest in a cool underground basement until late spring. The main thing is to provide ventilation, avoid dampness, put in wooden or plastic containers, cardboard boxes. Sort by hand, do not wipe to avoid damaging the thin protective layer.

I dared

Winter version with firm skin, dense pulp. It will lie in boxes until spring.

Migrants

Dagestan fruits moderately hardy with high yields, impeccable commercial qualities.

Striped Rossosh

Late early winter variety with quality retention up to 150 days. It is best to dry or process compotes and juices into jam.

jonathan

Apples have a long shelf life. They last until spring, keeping their taste impeccable.

delicious golden

If properly cared for, they can be stored for up to 250 days.

Amazing

Late class. Keeping quality is long term. Although in severe winters, if the requirements are not met, it may freeze slightly.

Korey

Maintaining quality is good. Stored in the basement until June. As they ripen, they begin to give off a melon, remain juicy and unwrinkled.

Sweet Krasnoyarsk

The pulp is juicy, the thickness of the skin is medium. For greater safety in cold weather, dense fruits without defects are collected.

Dear

Stored in the closet, on a ventilated windowsill.

You can put up to 15 kg, put it in the refrigerator (bottom shelf), placing it in plastic bags.

Phoenix Altai

Stored up to 120 days on racks in wooden containers. The optimal t is 0. The main thing is not to mix with other varieties, to calibrate by size.

Zhivinka

Quality preservation - until January in earthen storage.

Friend

Thick-skinned winter variety, keeping fresh fruit for up to 8 months. After harvest, it can be kept in boxes for 1 month. Then transfer to the balcony at t -2 + 5 degrees.

Lada

Frost resistant winter type. Will lie down until spring. Withstands low temperatures, although sudden jumps are not allowed.

a swan song

Round winter fruits that can be kept cool for up to 0.5 years. But it is better to turn them into compotes, jams.

How to harvest correctly

Even the most stable apples can quickly lose their presentation if you ignore the collection schedule and rules.

Main conditions:

Gently pull out the branches, having previously prepared the container. Fruit that falls to the ground cracks and can become infected with bacteria.
Better to pick by hand, starting from the bottom of the tree and working your way up.
Collect with gloves to avoid damaging the upper part of the skin.
Lay the fruits in containers carefully, only with the stems, one by one.

Sorting

Sound fruit removed is kept in the fridge for 48-72 hours to cool. After this time, some fruits deteriorate, they are harvested, used for winter harvesting.Before winter laying, fruits of different sizes and varieties should not show the slightest signs of rotting.

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Storage methods

It can be kept in different places where the optimal conditions correspond:

Cellars. Be sure to equip yourself with ventilation. Treat the floor and walls with copper sulfate. So the apples will keep their freshness longer, will not lose nutrients.
If possible, place on racks in 1 layer, avoiding contact with fruit.
Earth. The main thing is to avoid overheating, freezing of the crop.
Shed, covering the boxes on top with straw.

Large fruits are placed at the bottom of the container, small ones above.

Simple

It is easier to put food in spacious wooden containers, stems up, sprinkling dry sawdust on top.

Wrapping paper

Paper wrappers extend shelf life. Packing is a laborious process, but protects the harvest well.You can use soft paper towels, napkins.

Materials containing printing ink, harmful additives are not acceptable.

Interlacing and interleaving

Natural free substances are suitable - sawdust, sand, ash, onion peel. Sand and ashes are poured into the bottom, apples are laid, and loose materials are placed on top.

plastic bags

In the packages, cuts are made, apples of the same variety, 2-3 kg each, are placed. Polyethylene is tightly bound. The normal temperature is -1 ... + 1 degrees. Can be put in bags, leave them open for 48-72 hours. Then tie it up, make stitches, put it on the support of the basement, the cellar.

After 3 weeks, a gaseous environment forms that protects the apples from rotting and spoilage.

Stretch film

Apples, one by one, are tightly wrapped in foil and put in the refrigerator.

How to stay in the ground

Steps for creating a repository:

Dig a trench of 60x45x45 cm.
Cover the bottom with juniper, spruce or pine branches 3-4 days before harvest.
Place bags, polythene bags with fruits in a single layer, at a distance of 25 cm from each other.
Make several punctures with a needle.
Fill the hole to the top, sprinkle with branches, dry foliage.

Carbon dioxide treatment

The fruit is gassed before storage. This prevents infection with pathogenic microorganisms, parasites.

UV treatment

The ultraviolet lamp kills bacteria, viruses. This increases the keeping quality and shelf life.

How to improve the quality of conservation

To extend the shelf life, apples should not be washed, the natural wax layer should not be removed.It is best to cover the top with melted wax, although it will need to be cleaned before use. If it is decided to store unripe fruits, it is worth isolating them from each other to speed up ripening. Containers can be lubricated with glycerin. If it is stored in the refrigerator, it is good that a special compartment is provided.

Apples will keep longer in winter if treated with a 2% calcium chloride solution.

Why:

Fill the basin with the solution.
Place the fruit for 1-2 minutes.
Remove and dry with a clean cloth.
Treat the skin with glycerin.

Storage conditions

For long-term storage of fruits, you need to create optimal conditions:

Maintain the ideal temperature when storing on the balcony, in the pantry, in the cellar.
Provide ventilation by placing in containers with holes.
Do not use iron containers for storage. As the temperature rises, apples begin to emit ethylene, which negatively affects their appearance and taste.

The shelf life of ripe apples depends entirely on the variety. The ideal temperature is +4 degrees, but not lower than -1. Humidity - 85%. With the correct content, the fruits will stay in the refrigerator for a long time, up to 3-4 months.

Selection and preparation of premises

For the storage of apples, it is important to regulate the temperature regime, the degree of humidity. Requirements for premises:

ventilated;
ventilated;
warm, without sudden temperature fluctuations.

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How to store in an apartment

The best option is wooden containers or shelves.

Other places:

insulated balcony;
pantry;
window sill.

The apartment is not the best place for long-term fruit storage. The maximum shelf life of fruits under such conditions is 8-12 weeks.

In the pantry

When storing in a closet, it is best to:

treat each apple with melted wax, glycerin;
wrap in paper or film;
put in a wooden container.

In a glazed balcony

If the balcony is insulated, then the fruits are well stored in thermoboxes:

Take 2 boxes.
Lay the insulation between them.
Line the outside with polystyrene foam.
Arrange the apples wrapped in a layer of paper, newspaper.
Cover the top with warm clothes.

In the fridge

Apples:

packed in polythene bags, previously wrapped in paper;
placed in small cardboard boxes;
put in a special compartment of the refrigerator.

In the freezer

You can freeze fruit in bags.

Defrost gradually by transferring to the bottom shelf of the refrigerator for several hours.

Entirely

Dense, healthy, whole fruits will last up to 1-2 weeks. Longer freezing is not recommended.

Slices

Sliced apples will keep in the freezer for up to 48 hours. To extend the period, you can put it in food grade plastic bags or small containers.

Mash potatoes

Apples, twisted and harvested for the winter in sterilized jars, are stored until spring. Pureed fruits without cooking should be eaten immediately.

Storing dried apples

Fruits with defects, dark spots, wormholes are prone to drying out. They are not suitable for long-term storage, therefore, after calibration and rejection, they can be sliced, removed the worms and dried.

Storage characteristics of some varieties

Summer and early autumn varieties of apples do not tolerate long-term storage.

White fill

Summer variety. It is harvested at the end of summer, when it resumes sugar in moderation. The shelf life does not exceed 1 month. It is better to process immediately, store for the winter in the form of jam, jam, compote.

Melba

The variety is mature, but fully ripe fruits should be removed from the tree. Shelf life at t -10 degrees - 2-3 months.

Common Mistakes

Many novice gardeners pick apples from the ground or shake them from trees. It cannot be done. These fruits do not last long.

Tips & Tricks

Apples will last until spring, they will not lose their useful and taste properties, if properly prepared, they are periodically revised.

Experts advise:

Treat apples with paraffin, beeswax, glycerin with salicylic acid to increase keeping quality before laying.
Do not expose to sudden temperature fluctuations. Long-term exposure to hot and cold conditions reduces shelf life.
Do not keep fruits in cellars, apartments next to vegetables. The first will quickly deteriorate, releasing ethylene. In the latter, the ripening process is accelerated.
You must pick the apples before the first frosts. Otherwise, the fruits caught by the frost will quickly deteriorate.
Arrange in rows, neatly. Each category in a separate container.
It is important to store with a stalk and a tail to avoid the development of fungus.
Sort fruits by varieties, sizes. Small apples ripen faster and emit less ethylene, large apples are perishable.
Do not store in humid conditions, where the air humidity is above 80%.
When stored in refrigerators, pack bags, pump out air, drill holes for better gas exchange.

Periodically inspect the crop in winter, separating rotten apples. Whole and healthy will last longer if all the other conditions above are met.

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