Carla: I can't give you any kind of exhaustive list; that would call for some research. But, in general, the apples that keep best through the winter are the latest to ripen. They are the harder, dense apples, and usually on the sweet side, though you could also call it a sweet/tart flavor. Of the 40 varieties I have grown here, the best keepers have been Fuji, Stark's Blushing Golden (very similar to Goldrush), Goldrush itself, and the very late Pink Lady. None of the midseason apples come even close to the keeping qualities of the really late varieties, though some of the late-midseason like Mutsu and Spigold do pretty well. For the early apples like Yellow Transparent, we figure about three weeks before they have to be turned into frozen applesauce and then they will keep more than a year. I don't know how your heat could be a factor in apple growing, but have noticed that Applenut seems to be able to grow just about anything in his very warm climate. Here in Northern Virginia, we can get into the mid-90's for several days running in July and August, but it's not Sacramento by any means. Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

Regarding the original question about using a thermostat to regulate a freezer to provide an optimal temperature for apple storage, I would think that if using simple equipment, this task would be more than it might appear. A simple thermostat of this type will shut off power to the compressor a few degrees below a set temperature and then turn it back on a few degrees above that temperature so that in theory the average temperature of the freezer is the set temperature. But what can happen is that when the temperature in the freezer hits the low that turns off the compressor, the system will then reach an equilibrium between the very cold coils and refrigerant in the evaporator and everything else, including the apples. This can bring the temperature well below what might be expected, especially if there is little fruit in the freezer. So if the thermometer is set for 34 degrees and the compressor shuts off at 31 degrees, the system may not reach equilibrium until the temperature reaches the mid 20's. While this may not ruin the fruit, I would wonder whether cycling fruit from the mid 20's to the mid 30's several times daily over months would really be optimal for fruit preservation. Approaches to this problem would include using a thermostat that allows setting a narrower temperature range and keeping the freezer full.

Rosefolly and Friends: One of the principal differences between a chest freezer (often called a deepfreeze) and a household refrigerator is the provision for automatic defrost. All refrigerators built for the past 40 years or more have an automatic defrost feature that shuts down cooling and briefly heats the cooling coils to remove frost. Water from the melt runs down a tube to the bottom where it is evaporated by warm air circulation. The defrost cycle normally occurs twice in each 24-hour period, so the refrigerator is constantly wringing moisture out of the cabinet and removing it. Keeping a pan of water or moist towels in a refrigerator to raise humidity is futile for this reason. This is also the principal reason that the freezer section of a household refrigerator is not suitable for long-term storage -- it does not maintain a constant temperature below +10F, which is about the minimum. Most chest freezers do not have automatic defrost, although I am sure some do, and newer upright freezers often do. This is great for convenience, but not good for long-term freezer storage, which requires constant temperatures below zero. The only downside to a freezer requiring manual defrost is that you have to defrost once every year or 18 months, which usually requires removing the contents for an hour or so. The period between manual defrosts can be longer if your door gasket seals well to keep out ambient humidity and you do not open the door for frequent and prolonged periods. Automatic defrost controls can easily be bypassed, but if you do that with a refrigerator you have to be prepared for frequent manual defrosts, since most refrigerator doors are opened two-dozen times a day or more, which invites humidity into the cabinet. It is apparently possible to modify an entire chest or upright freezer for warmer storage above 32 degrees, by removing the cold control and installing a different control operating in a higher temperature range. The warmer air in the cabinet will also permit retention of higher humidity, which favors fruit storage. However, changing the control may not be equally easy in all models because of the placement of the control's sensing tube. For you, Rosefolly, if you are successful with your 12 apple trees, you will soon see the day when you are surrounded by apples. I don't see how you can get by in your relatively warm climate without an extra refrigerator to store the bounty. Cidermaking is certainly one option, and perhaps the best since you can use a lot of apples very quickly. But then you have to store the cider, and that involves a deepfreeze. I have dried a lot of apples, and it is kind of fun and produces a delicious product, but it is very labor intensive. You have to have some time on your hands to make it possible. Children do like dried apples, and they are a very healthy snack. Lots better than "energy bars", composed mostly of chemicals and corn syrup. Then, of course, there is applesauce, and we make more than 2-dozen quarts every season. But again, you need a deepfreeze to store it, or be prepared to put it up in canning jars. Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

Have you ever heard of those "Debbie Meyer Green Bags" that are advertised on late-night infomercials? Believe it or not, those dumb things really do work very well, and keep produce fresh a lot longer. AND, they have now been copycatted by other brands and even as cheap knockoffs. I have been buying packages of them at the dollar store (generally 5 bags for a dollar), and those even work. I was able to keep Asian pears fresh a whole year in them. Apples (Ark Black, Red Delicious, Stayman Winesap) will keep into about June or July. The only drawback I've found to these is that, once you take the produce out of them, it does go downhill fast, like in a week. Overall, I think it's a really good product and it really helps. I put a link to them at the Ace Hardware site, just to show you the product, but you can buy them locally much cheaper than this. Most grocery stores and mass merchandisers carry some version of them now -- look in the section where they sell foil, plastic wrap, etc. Here is a link that might be useful: Green Bags at Ace Hardware