When you’ve got a bounty of beautiful apples with many to spare, you’ll want to store them smartly! Perhaps you’re saving apples to bake a pie, make jellies and jams or to simply enjoy down the road. Although all apples can be stored, be aware that some apples do store better than others.
The best apples for storing are hardy varieties that hold up well over time, like Fuji, Red Delicious, Granny Smith, and Gala.
General apple storage tips include:
- Store unwashed apples in the coldest part of your refrigerator.
- For best results, keep your refrigerator at 33 to 35 degrees F with some humidity to reduce shriveling.
- Sort through your apples often and remove any damaged ones to use for juice or sauce. One bad apple can spoil the bunch!
- Don’t store apples with strong-smelling foods like onions and garlic. Apples can easily take on the odor of those foods.
- You’ll also want to keep apples away from potatoes as they release a gas as they age which causes apples to spoil.
- To store an entire box of apples, consider a second refrigerator or keep the box in a cool, dark place. Wrapping each apple in paper will provide additional protection and delay ripening.
Pro tips
- Storage temperature should be cool; just above freezing but not dropping below. A spare refrigerator where the humidity is controlled is best, but a cool garage works too.
- Be sure to check on your apples frequently for soft spots (which can turn to mold/decay). One bad apple really can spoil the bunch, so be sure to sort!
