Apple Storage Tips: How to Keep Apples Fresh

Nothing beats biting into a crisp, juicy apple straight from the tree or enjoying a freshly-pressed cup of apple cider. At Dougherty Orchards & Winery, we want you to enjoy that fresh-picked flavor long after harvest. So, how do we keep our apples tasting fresh from the farm for months? The secret is a combination of nature, science, and good old-fashioned know-how. You can do the same at home to keep your apples fresh.

1. Harvesting at Optimal Ripeness

   
   

Keeping apples fresh begins in the orchard, and timing is everything. We hand-pick our apples at peak ripeness - when flavor, sweetness, and texture are at their best. Picking too early can leave apples bland and tart, and waiting too long can cause softness and shorter storage life.

2. Gentle Handling Counts

An apple’s skin is its natural protective barrier. Bruises or cuts cause apples to spoil faster, so we handle each apple carefully, using gentle picking and sorting techniques to prevent damage before apples even leave the orchard.

3. Cool, Consistent Apple Storage Temperatures

Once harvested, apples are best when moved to colder storage areas to remain freshest. Cooler storage slows the fruit’s natural ripening process, keeping its freshness and crunch for weeks or even months. It’s ideal to keep your apples refrigerated at home.

4. Controlling Oxygen Levels

Some apples should be stored in Controlled Atmosphere (CA) storage. CA storage involves lowering oxygen levels in the storage room to slow and delay ripening. A CA storage space puts the apples into a gentle “rest mode” until it’s time for them to shine. Apples that are best suited for CA storage include Fuji, Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Red Delicious, Braeburn, and EverCrisp.

5. Separating Apples from Other Produce

Naturally, apples emit ethylene gas, which speeds up ripening in other fruits and vegetables. We recommend storing apples separately and rotating them regularly to maintain their quality.

Tips for Apple Storage at Home

Here are a few tips to keep your Dougherty Orchards apples fresh longer.

●       Refrigerate apples in the crisper drawer of your fridge.

●       Keep them dry. Moisture can lead to rot, so avoid washing apples until right before eating.

●       Keep them separated from other produce, especially from bananas and pears, which ripen quickly near apples.

Every apple from Dougherty Orchards & Winery is the result of generations of care, tradition, and innovation. Whether you’re enjoying them fresh, baking them into a pie, or pressing them into our cider, we strive to ensure you experience the very best of the harvest.