Best storage conditions for apples

15 years ago

Does anybody have the ideal temperature and humidity for maximizing apple shelf life while not sacrificing flavor? I know about commercial storage which is 32-33F, but that degrades the flavor and is definitely not what I want.

I've experimented with my gravenstein crop at around 60F with 80% humidity, so far the gravensteins have kept for almost two months without them going mealy, and the flavor is out of this world as they mellow in storage and put out the most amazing fragrance. However, they're reaching the end of their shelf life right about now.

My guess is good Winter apples should store without flavor degradation around 45-50F, but I'd like to hear other people's experiences. I've had my fridge ruin apples at 36F. They kept well, but they lost all their flavor, and some even went mealy (mainly spartan and empire).

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Comments (3)

geraldo_linux
15 years ago
I think you want to keep them as near as 33-34 as possible with a certain amount of humidity. I am not sure how much, but I think very high. Cherry humidity should be 90% I know. If your apples don't store well you might be picking them too mature. Empire is a fine apple, but will store no better than Red Delicious. I haven't been able to figure out a cheap way to store apples on my place. I store tons of them and I just use an ordinary air conditioner in a very well insulated room. I guess it is about 45 in there. To use regular refrigeration would be expensive. I had a reefer unit, too, but the reefer is three phase 440 volt which I don't have and which is prohibitive to install. It will run on diesel, but that too is prohibitive. A root cellar would be nice, but it would have to be like 15x25. Your refrigerator has other things in it and those will degrade apple flavor. Also the ethylene gases can't escape. I think 50 is way too high and yes, the best thing is to have a good storing apple in the first place.
Axel
Original Author
15 years ago
Well, I heard 33-34F degrades the quality of the flavor. 45F seems like a better bet, but I was hoping to hear from first hand experience. I do know of a cheap way to setup refrigeration, send me an E-mail and I can explain.

I do grow a lot of Winter storage apples, especially some very well known German heirloom that are actually inedible until they are stored for a while, where they actually improve in flavor. hence my question about other people's apple storage experiences.
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Sounds like a physiological problem of some kind to me. It may be nothing you've done wrong, perhaps it's caused by or related to the growing conditions. If they're not rotting, are they perhaps getting kind of mealy? Maybe you can still use them for apple butter or applesauce? That's one thing I've done with mealy, dry apples. For apple butter, it's actually kind of an advantage, since the goal is to remove most of the moisture anyway during the cooking process.
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Scott, all I have to offer is conjecture and hearsay, but I've had similar questions about apples that purportedly taste best after a period of storage. The conclusion I'd drawn is that apples that get better in storage require some type of cool storage in order to reach their peak. I had assumed that one could not speed that process up via room temperature because the apple would degrade too rapidly. In other words, I assume that the some of the changes that occur slowly in cold storage are different than those that occur more rapidly at room temperature. It could be something like the softening and oxidation is slowed down enough in cold storage to allow the much slower (perhaps not temperature specific) conversion of starches to sugar, or perhaps changes in volatile flavor compounds to have a significant effect. It may be that storing at room temperature speeds up some of the aging processes but not others. If I'm not making any sense please accept my apology in advance.
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myk1
15 years ago
My root cellar book says around 32Â° (of course we know not to freeze them) and 80% humidity and higher.
40Â° halves the time they'll keep and 50Â° halves it again. And at the higher temperatures you need higher humidity.

Refrigerators are not supposed to be good because they remove humidity. Which explains why I've never been able to store my Arkansas Blacks anywhere near what is claimed for them.
But now I have a new fridge with humidity control on the bins and I doubt if the little dorm fridge has anything that removes humidity other than frost. So maybe this year I'll be able to try again.
My plan is to put a pan of water in with them, and I know this fridge kept garden lettuce for a very long time.

Sorry, no personal experience other than they don't last long in a cheap not so old fridge that bragged about moisture control (removing it) and probably wasn't kept as close to freezing as the one I have now.

I would guess if yours got dry the problem was the humidity.
My Blacks shriveled in the moisture control fridge, I didn't bother tasting them after that.

Best storage conditions for apples

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geraldo_linux

Axel
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Best storage conditions for apples

Comments (3)

geraldo_linux

AxelOriginal Author

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Axel
Original Author