Are you wondering What are the best apple or pears for long storage? Let me help you plan ahead so you can enjoy our harvests year round.
When you’ve got a bounty of beautiful apples and pears with many to spare, you’ll want to store them smartly! Perhaps you’re saving apples to bake a pie, make jellies and jams or to simply enjoy down the road. Although all apples and pears can be stored, be aware that some apples and pears do store better than others.
The best apples for storing are hardy varieties that hold up well over time, like Fugi and Granny Smith. The best pears for keeping are the Anjou (green and red), comice and bosc. At Mt View Orchards we all of these varieties in our farm stand in ample quantities so stop by soon to stock up for the holidays and beyond, Many of these varieties will keep into spring.
General apple storage tips include:
Store unwashed apples and pears in the coldest part of your refrigerator.
For best results, keep your refrigerator at 33 to 35 degrees F with some humidity to reduce shriveling.
Sort through your apples/pears often and remove any damaged ones to use for juice or sauce. One bad apple can spoil the bunch!
Don’t store apples/pears with strong-smelling foods like onions and garlic. Fruit can easily take on the odor of those foods.
You’ll also want to keep apples/pears away from potatoes as they release a gas as they age which causes fruit to spoil.
To store an entire box of apples/pears, consider a second refrigerator or keep the box in a cool, dark place. Wrapping each apple in paper will provide additional protection and delay ripening.
I love snacking on our Fugis and Anjou pears in March of the next year because they taste better than anything you can find in the big box stores and remain crisp. Currently We are open daily 10-5pm and though most of apples have been picked in the upick fields we have plenty in the farm stand at affordable pricing. We have ample upick pears left + have them already picked as well so come by today and stock up for the winter.
xo your grateful farmers, Kenny and Trina
