How to preserve apples until spring: the right places and methods of laying them
Content:
A bountiful fruit harvest is always the merit and pride of the gardener. Picking the “fruits of paradise” is a pleasant procedure, but how to store apples if there is no cellar and they have to be taken to a city apartment? You can do canning and jam, but fresh fruit is always healthier, and you want it to lie on the table for as long as possible and delight you with its aroma and taste.
Varieties suitable for storage
When thinking about planting a seedling, you need to know in advance what kind of harvest it produces, when it bears fruit, and how long-lasting the fruits will be. Usually 2-3 varieties of apple trees are planted on a plot, and one of them bears fruit that can be stored for a long time. The abundance of varieties when choosing can be confusing, so they are all divided into three groups - summer, autumn and winter - on which the ripening period depends.
Typically, the harvest begins in August-September, but in most regions the ripening of fruits can last until November, it all depends on the variety of apple tree. When choosing a seedling, you can buy both a summer and a winter group, the fruits of which can be preserved for a long period.
What varieties should you pay attention to when choosing a seedling:
- summer: Ottawa 341; Mantet; Melba;
- autumn: New cinnamon; Welsey; Antonovka;
- winter: Loba, Vityaz; Spartan.
But often it is not enough to plant a certain variety; you need to properly harvest the crop, prepare it for storage and choose a place in the house with optimal temperature, humidity and light parameters. To extend the life, there are several ways to process apples, which increase their shelf life and prevent their premature rotting.
Collection and sorting
The apple harvest ripens unevenly, so early varieties are usually eaten and not stored. For the winter, it is better to plant fruits that ripen in the middle of the harvest; they are the juiciest and ripest, and the last ones are used for canning.
But the main thing that needs to be done to ensure that the harvest is preserved for a long time is to correctly collect and sort the apples. Fruits that have fallen from the tree should not be used for storage, which indicates that the apple is either overripe or has a pest living inside.
Rules for removing apples from a tree
There are several ways to remove fruit from a tree - there are special devices that can make the task much easier. But the main thing when harvesting is that all manipulations with the fruit must be carried out with gloves to prevent contact of the apple with the pathogenic microflora of human hands.
Rules for picking apples from a tree:
- Two weeks before the harvest ripens, you must stop watering the tree.This will allow the fruit to get rid of excess water in the apples, which leads to rotting.
- It is necessary to conduct a test to determine whether the fetus is ready for removal. Press the apple a little; the remaining dent indicates ripeness and you can remove it from the tree.
- It is better to harvest in the early morning or late evening; it also depends on the weather: if it rained the day before, then you need to wait 2-3 days before harvesting the fruits.
- The work must be carried out extremely carefully, avoiding scratches and dents, otherwise such fruits will not be stored.
- Apples must first be picked from the lower branches and with the stalk, which guarantees the keeping quality of the fruit.
- After harvesting, you need to immediately remove the crop from sunlight and preferably in a cool place. A basement, cellar or refrigerator will do.
On a note. Before sending apples for long-term storage, you should not wipe them, wash them and try to have less contact with the fruit with unprotected hands. The natural waxy layer that forms on the fruit is the best protection against pathogenic microflora that leads to rotting.
Apple storage technology
All growing processes that bring fresh fruit to the table are strictly regulated, and each has its own regulations, which large producers adhere to. Storage technology at home is no different, so you can take it as an example when harvesting in your garden.
Rules for growing and storing apples:
- choose a variety that is specially created for planting for the winter;
- correctly collect the fruits from the tree and deliver them to the storage location;
- prevent deformation of the apple during transportation and storage;
- arrange the fruits by variety and size;
- proper placement of fruits in storage containers;
- creating optimal conditions for preservation.
Industrial production additionally treats the fruits with gas, disinfects them with ultraviolet light and coats them with wax, which can be done at home. Often, long-term storage of apples involves wrapping or pouring the fruits so that they do not come into contact with each other, which has a positive effect on keeping quality.
Optimal storage conditions for apples
Creating the necessary parameters for the fruit will allow you to enjoy tasty and healthy fruit for a long time. The shelf life of apples largely depends on the conditions that will be created in the room where they will be stored.
Requirements for long-term storage of fruits:
- stable air temperature 0-+2 degrees;
- relative humidity 80-90%;
- storage place at home: basement, cellar, loggia;
- packaging: wooden, plastic boxes, thick cardboard boxes, baskets;
But the main thing for preserving apples for a long period is cleanliness. If the fruits are stored in an apartment, then this is not difficult to achieve, but when storing in a basement or subfloor, the entire room and container must be treated with a disinfectant.
Depending on storage conditions, variety and ripening at the time of harvest, on average, apples can be stored for 5-8 months. During this period, they remain fresh and lose a minimum of their nutrients.
Treatments for long-term storage of apples
There are many additional ways to extend the ripeness of fruits stored for the winter - these are various types of coatings: wax, paraffin, and also soaking for several minutes in a soda solution. But it is worth remembering that washing and soaking fruits is not recommended, and applying available coatings at home is tedious.
Many gardeners use two effective methods to keep apples fresh for a long time, which you can take advantage of.
Carbon dioxide treatment
This method involves storage in bags in which pre-selected fruits are placed. Carbon dioxide is pumped into the bag through a small hole using a siphon, after which it is quickly and hermetically sealed. Such bags of apples can be packed in a box and placed in a cool place; freshness is guaranteed for 5-6 months.
Ultraviolet treatment
Most gardeners have such a lamp at home. Ultraviolet light kills pathogenic bacteria on the skin, which reduces the risk of rot. To process, just lay the apples on the table and turn on the lamp for 30 minutes, then put the fruits in the prepared container and put it in a storage place.
Home storage options
Of course, it is more convenient to prepare and store the harvested crop for the winter where it grew. There is less chance of damage to the fetus during transportation and transfer from the car to the apartment.
In the cellar
The best place to store apples in winter. Optimal conditions are created in the cellar, but before planting the crop, the room needs to be prepared. All surfaces must be treated with copper sulfate and bleached - this will kill all harmful microorganisms that can damage the fruit. The container can be different, the main thing is that it is clean and does not injure the apples when carrying and rearranging.
On racks or in boxes
If you do not use the pouring method, then the fruits are stored in two rows with the stalk facing up, between which a layer of parchment paper is placed, which are placed in a box.This method will allow you to easily monitor the fruit for the slightest signs of rot, which must be stopped immediately.
The option of placing it on racks in baskets or boxes in bulk also has a right to exist, but it will be extremely difficult to control spoilage in this way if the apple begins to rot at the bottom.
In plastic bags
The easiest way to prolong freshness and prevent fruits from drying out during storage. You need to take bags made of thick polyethylene, put 2-4 kg of apples and tie them. The bags need to be pierced with a knife in 4-5 places to allow the fruits to breathe and place them in boxes. You can take out such a package as needed.
In the ground
The apples are tightly packed in 4-5 kg plastic bags and, when the outside temperature drops to -5 degrees, they are buried in a previously prepared trench or hole to a depth of 0.5 meters. They throw earth on top and cover it with spruce branches or other insulating material. This method will preserve apples until spring.
Oversleeping
The method eliminates contact of fruits with each other, which increases shelf life. Any available material is suitable for pouring - sand with ash, sawdust, shavings, dry peat or moss from the nearest forest. When placing fruit in a container, you need to pour 3-5 cm of material that you have at hand on the bottom, lay the apples, and fill the container with sprinkles on top.
Where to store apples in an apartment
Not all gardeners have the opportunity to store crops for the winter within their plot. Many people take everything they grow to their apartment, so the issue of preserving apples is relevant for everyone. You can use several popular methods that will help you eat the harvested crop for several months.
On the balcony or loggia
If the room is glazed and the temperature remains 0 degrees in winter, then this is an excellent place. A large harvest can be sprinkled with sawdust and stored in boxes that are stacked on top of each other. In this case, you need to ensure complete darkness for the container: cover the top with a blanket or other material, which will prevent the boxes from heating up in the sun and protect them from freezing in severe frosts. If there are no excessive temperature changes on the balcony, apples can be stored for up to 5 months.
In a refrigerator
If the harvest is small, then a special compartment for vegetables and fruits is suitable. To prevent the apples from drying out and losing their freshness, they are packaged in 2-3 kg bags, on which 4-5 cuts are made, and placed in a special compartment of the refrigerator. The shelf life in the vegetable compartment is 1-2 months.
Wrapping in paper
It will help to better preserve the harvest. Paper prevents fruit from coming into contact with each other and reduces moisture loss, but avoid newspapers and other printed materials. For packaging, it is better to use parchment, which is cut into equal squares. When storing, each apple is wrapped in paper and placed in a box or box with the stem up, no more than 2-3 layers, so that the weight of the upper fruit does not put pressure on the lower ones.
Useful secrets
Summer residents with extensive experience know how to preserve their harvest throughout the winter. By following their advice, you can avoid mistakes that will spoil the fruit very quickly.
Useful secrets from gardeners for preserving crops:
- You should not overfeed the apple tree with fertilizers; a healthy tree needs feeding 1-2 times per season. If you follow the principle, the more, the better, then the shelf life of the fruit will be halved.
- It is not advisable to store fruits and vegetables in the same room.Apples produce a gas that causes potatoes, carrots and beets to grow prematurely.
- When storing fruits using the pouring method, you need to make sure that the preservation material is dry. If the sand has a moisture content of more than 5%, this will accelerate the occurrence of rot.
- It is necessary to exclude the transfer of containers with apples from place to place - temperature changes are detrimental to the safety of the fruit.
Knowing the basic rules for collecting, preparing and packing apples for the winter, you can achieve good preservation results. By choosing the right variety, you can consume the harvest for another 5-6 months after picking it from the tree and feed your loved ones with fresh fruit from your plot.