In winter, it is very pleasant to eat fresh apples and get the necessary vitamins for our body. But in order to properly preserve fresh apples for a longer period, you need to consider many different factors and circumstances: summer weather, tree age, variety, growing conditions, harvesting dates, storage conditions, and others.
An important step in storing apples is to choose the right time for harvesting. Fruits harvested on time are less susceptible to disease and can be stored longer. Their maturation is determined by some external signs. Apples in the ripening stage have the most characteristic color for this variety and grow to a maximum value. They also decrease the density of the skin and pulp, and enhance the taste and aroma. The fruits are easily removed from the trees without much effort. If the apples themselves fall, it means that they are overripe and will not lie for a long time.
Only medium-sized apples that are bright in color are laid off for long-term storage. Larger fruits ripen faster while lying down, and their shelf life does not exceed 1-2 months. The taken fruits cannot be laid out in the sun. They are carefully placed in containers, such as wooden boxes, and transferred to a cool room. Before this, the storehouse, and this can be a cold utility room, cellar, attic or basement, is ventilated for several days to achieve the optimum temperature. Apples can be stored at temperatures from -1 degrees to +4 degrees and air humidity up to 95%, depending on the variety. Such overmoistening of the room prevents intense evaporation of moisture from the fruit.
Before putting it into storage, the apples are either kept in an aqueous solution of iodinol, or immersed in a solution of salicylic acid, or rubbed with a cloth moistened with glycerin. Also, to protect against rot and mold, the fruits are treated with a composition consisting of crystalline iodine (2.5%), potassium iodide (7%), starch (53%), baking soda (2%) and water (35%). They are lowered into this composition for 1-2 minutes and then dried. On apples after that there is a thin strong film, which is easily washed off before eating. Still for the processing of fruits, 100 g of propolis and 500 ml of alcohol are used. They are lowered into this composition for a few seconds and then dried.
So that apples lay until next spring they can be sprinkled with chemical compounds that are the least dangerous to humans. For example, sodium pyrosulfate emits sulfur dioxide, which envelops the fruits and protects them from spoilage.
It is ideal to store apples in small wooden crates or cardboard boxes. Moreover, the distance on the boxes between the boards should be as small as possible. Apples are laid among themselves with various materials. To do this, use dry shavings of deciduous trees, clean oak leaves, dry moss. Of more modern materials, cling film and packaging wrappers for products are used. Do not use straw to lay apples. If the fruits begin to deteriorate, it becomes very moldy and gives them an unpleasant taste. Apples with a thin and delicate skin are additionally wrapped in napkins that are saturated with petroleum jelly.
Also, apples can be stored on shelves or shelves in two layers. In this case, under them lay matting, dry peat, sawdust or woody leaves.
Another way of long-term storage of apples are pits dug in a personal plot up to 50 cm deep. Accordingly, depending on climatic conditions, they can be either smaller or deeper. At the same time, apples are laid out on plastic bags and tightly tied with a rope. Then they put pits at the bottom and sprinkle them with earth. To protect against rodents, bags of fruits are covered with spruce branches of spruce or juniper.
It is forbidden to store apples in the same room with vegetables, potatoes and smelling strongly of onions and garlic. The storehouse is aired in the first two to three weeks after planting to remove excess carbon dioxide emitted by the fruit. During storage, the fruit is regularly inspected and rotted specimens are removed.
To use apples in food, they are first transferred to a warmer room and the ambient temperature is raised gradually. This will not allow the fruits to turn brown immediately.
If all the conditions are observed, apples can lie for 3 to 9 months, depending on the variety. Proven varieties for long-term storage are Melba, Antonovka, Autumn Striped, Bogatyr, Pepin, Anis, Orange and others.
