It's apple picking season! Tips for storing apples

Apple picking is a fun activity that my family of four does every year. Both my kids started enjoying this fall adventure when they were tiny babies. It is such a great opportunity for all of us to get together outside and check out some farm animals, take a hayride, and go home with a huge bag of apples. I loved watching my babies touching, smelling and tasting fresh apples when they were not even one. Now they are older, it still brings joy watching them roaming through the orchards, climbing up high in the trees, and rolling down hills with bellies full of fresh apples. 

Varieties of apples grown in New England

According to the New England Apple Association, there are over 200 varieties of apples grown in New England. Wow! I did not expect that number. In fact, I learn about new apple varieties each year we go apple picking. Some varieties are very sweet, such as gala, ginger gold, empire, and the acclaimed honeycrisp. Some are on the tarter side, such as granny smith and topaz. Some have a sweet combination of sweetness and tartness (pun intended). Most varieties are suitable for snacking. Crisp or tender, sweet or tart, you will find one that you want to celebrate. This is one reason why I love going apple picking – I get to try so many different varieties before I find my love. Apples can also be used in cooking and baking. You can include apples in both sweet and savory dishes. I usually throw some sliced apples into a salad, or make a pie with cut apples. I have also made applesauce, one of my kids’ favorite snacks, or apple butter to spread on a warm toast. My favorite pork chop recipe incorporates apple cider in the meat marinate and the sauce to drizzle over the pork.

The climate requirements to grow apples

While apples can adapt to nearly all hardiness zones, they thrive in regions with cold winters, moderate summers, and medium to high humidity. The New England area produces 3.5 million bushels of apples each year and has some of the best apple orchards in the nation, thanks to its climate that checks all the boxes for growing apples. Apples are definitely an important cash crop in this region. However, things have changed.

Climate change has led to more days of extreme weather in New England –  summers with higher temperatures and less rain, or unexpected weather throughout the year – frosts in the middle of May or temperatures in the 80s in November. None of them are good news to apple growers. Apples can be very sensitive to high temperatures, leading to more apples dropping from the tree before they are ready to eat. Hot summer sun can also cause sunburn in apples. Spring frosts may kill all the buds, leaving no fruits later on. And sometimes it only takes one freezing night. All these challenges have made many farmers rethink about growing apples. This realization deepens my appreciation for our apple orchards.

How to store apples

At the end of our apple picking adventure, we go home with 40-50 apples. What do we do now? With all those extra apples sitting on the floor of our kitchen? One good thing about apples is that they last a long time if they are stored right. Depending on how long you want to keep them around and what you are going to do with them, they can be stored in a cool room or a freezing compartment. 

Room temperature

Apples do not last long when stored on the counter top, although it depends on the temperature and humidity of the room. Circulation of cool air can be helpful. Apples degrade six times faster when stored at 60 F than 32 F. In fact, we have had repeated 80-degree days in October and even early November in recent years, here in New England. They overripe faster when stored in an airtight bag or with other fruits such as pears and peaches. These fruits including apples release a gas called ethylene, which speeds up the ripening process. 

Fridge

Apples like low temperatures and humidity. Storing apples in the crisper drawer with a high humidity setting can extend their freshness and maintain a better quality. According to a recent study, relative humidity of 91%-94% minimized physiological disorders, such as browning and cracking, and decay in gala apples.  

Freezer

Apples not only freeze well but may also be preferred in many different ways of cooking than fresh ones. Frozen apples are a long-lasting, convenient and tasty ingredient. It does take some time to prepare the apples before freezing them: washing, peeling, decoring, cutting, bagging, and labeling. However, they are ready to use when you are ready to make dishes with them. I usually pack apples in fours or eights as most times that is how many apples I usually need in recipes. For example, I usually make apple turnovers that call for four chopped apples or apple pies that need eight sliced apples in total. You can definitely adjust the numbers based on your needs. See the instructions below for how to freeze apples.

Other ways

Apples can also be stored in some other ways, such as apple jam, applesauce, and apple butter. In this case, rules of safely storing leftovers apply to minimize bacterial overgrowth in these apple derivatives. 

How to freeze apples for future use

1. Wash the apples, so the apples will be ready to use and safe to eat when it's the time.

   

2. Peel, core, and cut the apples.

3. Store the apples in batches in airtight bags. Depending on the recipes you are making and the size of the apples, you can determine how many apples you would like to store in one bag. I usually store 4-8 apples in one bag. The chopped ones are for apple pies, apple turnovers, and apple crumble. The halves are perfect for apple butter.

   

4. Label the bags.

5. Freeze the apples and use them within 8-12 months for best quality

   

Simple apple dessert recipe

This is a quick and easy dessert made with frozen apples that my kids love. Only two ingredients! Check out the little video I made for last year's Thanksgiving. It was a last-minute idea and was actually the highlight of the dinner!

Ingredients:

Frozen apples, halves, slices, or cubes

Cinnamon

1. Microwave the frozen apples until they are soft

2. Sprinkle cinnamon on top

3. Serve!

4. Add optional toppings like toasted nuts, granola, or ice cream!