Kitchen Garden Forum

I've just been checking through my apples for storage and have had to throw a lot out. There is a lot more scab and damage due to the wet weather.

I'm washing them in Milton solution to kill any moulds off, drying them and spacing them further apart in their wooden slatted trays, and hopefully they will keep for a while longer.

I usually put the dessert apples in trays in their order of ripening, as the earliest to ripen don't keep very well - although we've eaten all the Sunset and Early Worcester more or less straight from the trees.

I then put the Bramleys in front of the Newton Wonder for the same reason. The Newton Wonder are very good keepers and a lovely cooker as they break down nicely when cooked and have a very good flavour - not bad as a dessert apple too when they've been stored for a while.

We find storing in an old fridge (one the works though) is a good way of keeping apples

Plumpudding,
Having apples when most folks this year were struggling round here to get a decent crop and then finding them not keeping is really annoying. Haven't checked my few - but if they start to deteriorate I will most probably double cook a batch and freeze half.
Hilary

I've put a pile of the most blemished ones out for the birds and the blackbirds have been having a lovely time pecking at them. I've juiced quite a few too and put batches in the freezer, and I've used up the worst of the cookers in a nice large apple crumble tonight, so I'm getting them organized.

I thought about making some more cider, but we've not used up all last year's yet. It is a rather lively sparkling one that you have to calm down in the fridge before opening!

Its funny, we got no cherries or pears, and very few plums, but the apples set really well - just a pity they have scab.

Main thing, apple with even small bruises must never be saved. Only perfect apples should be used for long term storage. The boxed apples need to be kept in a cool, black identify where they won't freeze. I have to say that apples and potatoes should never be stored in the same place or room.

Trouble this year William is that they are nearly all blemished so I'm having to keep checking them over regularly.

I've found another use for the ones that are deteriorating - a little pile near the back door as ammunition to throw at all the cats roaming round the garden - good fun too, then the blackbirds can eat them when the cats have run away.

williamraed wrote:I have to say that apples and potatoes should never be stored in the same place or room.

Now, that's a new one to me ... can you explain why ?

I believe it's something to do with ripening fruit giving off small amounts of ethylene gas which can trigger sprouting in things like onions and potatoes.