Even today, in the conditions of year-round availability of vegetables and fruits, many gardeners and lovers of not imported, but seasonal fruits, the question arises of how to store apples. Contrary to popular belief, it is quite possible to keep the fruits fresh all winter or most of it, even at home. The main thing is to know which varieties of fruit are suitable for this, what parameters environment arrange how to properly handle the component before warehousing. Of course, the best option in this case there will be a glazed, but not very warm balcony. True, there are other, albeit less effective, approaches.

Varieties of apples suitable for storage

When thinking about how to organize the storage of apples, you need to understand that all varieties of this type fruits react in their own way to a long stay in warmth (even if relative).
At home, the most likely to save the following of them:

• Renet, Simirenko, Kandil, Northern Sinal are able to lie for up to 8 months without losing their original characteristics.
• Lemonka will be stored until April, if you remove it at the end of August and provide the necessary conditions.
• Aport can be stored until February, even if there are traces of light pressure on it.
• Golden Delicious, harvested in September, is perfectly preserved until May and is not very picky about the conditions.
• Jonathan, properly assembled at the end of September, will lie without a trace of damage until March. The main thing is not to miss the moment of fruit ripening.

Of course, in addition to this, there are other varieties that can "survive" the winter, remaining in great shape. But in their case, much will already depend on the attentiveness of the owners and the quality of maintaining the created conditions.

Rules for assessing the condition of fruits and their preparation

Before warehousing fruits, you should make sure that they are mature enough to be stored at home. In addition to specific features, there are universal ones that are characteristic of apples, regardless of their variety:

• Fruit seeds should not be green or too light. Their color can be brown or dark gray.

Tip: Do not try to save unripe apples for the winter. They do not have a sufficiently dense skin and do not have time to be covered with a thin waxy layer that retains moisture in the fruit. Very quickly, this moisture evaporates, and pathogenic bacteria penetrate the pulp, causing spoilage of the product.

• You should make sure that the taste and texture of the pulp correspond to the indicators characteristic of a particular variety.
• You do not need to make great efforts to separate the stalk.
• The size of the fetus is normal. Small apples will quickly wither and wrinkle. Too large ones are more likely to suffer from diseases and can “infect” the entire masonry.

• Use of calcium chloride solution. For 10 liters of water, 1 liter of calcium chloride is taken. The solution is thoroughly mixed. Soak apples in it for no more than 15 seconds (you can use a colander). After processing, the fruits are dried and ventilated. Reception allows you to keep apples fresh for 1-1.5 months longer.
• Use of an antioxidant solution. We take 0.3% water solution food ionol or santochin, they are absolutely harmless to the body. We immerse the fruits in it for a few seconds, after which we dry it without wiping it, and put it in a suitable container for storage.
• The use of vodka and propolis solution. This hike is most often used at home. For 50 g of propolis we take a glass of vodka, knead a homogeneous solution. You need to dip each apple into it, holding the fruit by the stalk. It is not necessary to wipe the products, we immediately send them to dry, after which they are stored.

Now it only remains to properly organize the conditions for storing fruits. At home, this can be done on the balcony or in the refrigerator.

The Best Ways to Store Apples

If possible, apples are best kept on the balcony. At the same time, the following indicators should be maintained in the room: temperature 0-5ºС, humidity 85-95%, good air movement. It is worth considering that cement surfaces dry the air a lot, for this reason the best option would be brickwork walls. It's hard to imagine on the balcony high humidity, but if this is still observed, then you can put buckets of sand. But to increase the indicator, buckets of water are useful.

If you managed to fulfill the listed requirements at home, the storage process itself is organized in one of the following ways:

• Shelving. Products are laid out on shelves lined with thick paper, sawdust or film. The stalks should be correctly directed upwards. It is good if the fruits do not touch. It is allowed to form 2-3 rows, provided that paper or sawdust is laid out between the layers.

• Boxes. The container is lined with polyethylene, apples are laid in it, each layer is laid with paper or sawdust. From above, the mass is again covered with polyethylene. If the texture of the material is dense, the boxes can be stacked on top of each other.

• Packages. At home, fruits can simply be packaged in plastic bags (2-3 kg each) and laid out in the created storage. First, we keep the package open, and tightly tie it only after its contents have cooled to ambient temperature.

There is one more interesting way fruit storage - in the sand. We just take a suitable container (bucket, box or barrel), sprinkle the bottom with sand and lay out the apples so that they do not touch. We fill the fruits with sand and put the second layer of the product. So we act until the container is full.

Additional methods used in the apartment

In addition to the balcony, a loggia can be used to store apples at home, but the temperature on it should not rise above 6ºС. Boxes and bags are also used here, only you need to make sure that direct sunlight does not fall on the products.

In the refrigerator, the fruits are kept in the vegetable compartment. Only first they need to be wrapped in polyethylene and tightly tied. Each fruit can be stored separately in parchment or thin paper (for example, napkins soaked vaseline oil). But the cling film will completely block the access of oxygen, which is why carbon dioxide is not formed, and the fruit will begin to wither.

Regardless of which option is chosen for storing apples at home, the fruits should be regularly inspected for signs of spoilage. Such instances should be consumed first.

How to save apples until spring and 12 win-win ways to harvest for the winter

Summer is behind us, and here it is - the fertile autumn apple season! When ripe red, green, yellow and sunny-striped apples migrate from trees to baskets, bags and boxes and go, go to our houses and apartments.

And when a rare hostess does not grab her head - what to do with this huge mountain of cheeky fruits splashing with ripe juice! What to do with them?

Of course, half can be stored in the ground, basements and cellars.

How to keep apples until spring

Three components of long-term storage

It turns out that preparing apples for storage is not such a simple thing ... It only seems at first glance: you put beautiful apples neatly in a box - and the job is done. It wasn't there! In order for apples to please with their freshness and “presentation” all winter and spring, you need to know three secrets:

What kind of apples to choose for storage

How long apples will be stored depends on their variety. Not every variety has the ability long time preserve food and nutritional properties (which, in fact, is called keeping quality).

Varieties have good keeping quality middle lane Antonovka ordinary, Bogatyr, Vityaz, Northern synapse, Zhigulevskoe, Mayak, Oryol winter, Chosen One, Cortland, Banana, Melba and Welsey.
In the southern regions, the varieties Jonathan, Aurora Crimean, Renet Simirenko, Starking and Olympiyskoye are the most stable.

How to pick apples from a tree correctly

If you have already decided to store apples in their natural form, then from the moment of collection you must begin to act correctly, because the term of their “further life” largely depends on how you do this.

• You need to collect fruits at the time of removable ripeness (when healthy ones have just begun to fall off). ripe apples- 5-6 pieces per day)
• Harvest apples only in dry weather
• Do not tear off the stem from the apple
• Do not wipe the natural wax coating (matte film) from apples
• Do not throw plucked apples, but carefully place them in a prepared container
• In order not to injure the fruits during harvest, you need to start from the lower branches, moving to the upper ones.

How to sort apples

Some inexperienced gardeners, having removed apples from a tree directly into boxes, send them to the cellar “for the winter” on the same day. And they make a mistake. Lowering it into the cellar in the cold is just not bad, but only for a short time. Before sorting, apples are really best kept in a cool room for 2-3 weeks - so that signs of possible defects appear. But then you need to do the following:

• Apples need to be sorted out and selected only those fruits that are healthy and do not have mechanical damage, preferably with stalks
• Apples different varieties preferably divided for storage.
• It is better to disassemble the apples by size: separately large, medium and small.
• You do not need to wash or wipe apples!

In the next video - tips from Andrey Tumanov on how to select apples for storage

Stacking apples for storage

There are many ways and options for laying apples for long-term storage, everyone can choose according to their taste and their capabilities:

"Simple" styling

Lay the apples with the stalks up (if the stalks are too long and injure the skin of others, they need to be shortened) in two or more layers so that it is convenient to observe them during storage. Apples are not shifted by anything. You can put much more apples in this way - a full basket, box or box. But this method is the most “short-lived”, because when at least one focus of decay appears, the process will quickly spread to other fruits. Using a similar method, you will need to check bookmarks regularly.

Wrapping in paper

Wrap each apple in paper or a paper napkin, put in rows in a box or box, stalks up. This method, provided that all apples are selected healthy, has proven itself very well.

Overlapping (overlapping)

At the bottom of the box, lay a layer of clean (washed and dried) sand with the addition of 3 cm of ash. Lay a layer of apples on the sand so that they do not touch each other, cover it completely with sand and ash, lay another 2-3 layers on top in the same way. It is possible to interleave with other dry and bulk materials

1. Buckwheat husk
2. Linen tow
3. onion peel
4. Husk
5. Peat
6. tree leaves
7. wood shavings hardwood
8. sawdust

Separated from each other, apples survive the winter and even spring perfectly, the storage time is limited only by the keeping quality of the varieties.

In the next video - a master class on laying apples for winter-spring storage by pouring

In plastic bags

A well-established method of storing apples in plastic bags. It is necessary to put 2-4 kg of apples of the same variety in a bag, tie it up, and make 4-5 cuts-holes for ventilation in the bag. Store at temperatures from -1 to +1 degrees.

in the ground

If there is no basement, you can store apples in the ground. Having prepared in advance a hole or a trench 40-50 cm deep, during the onset of cold weather around -5 ... -7 degrees, pack apples in plastic bags of 5-6 kg and lay them in the hole. At the bottom of the pit and on top of the bags, it is recommended to lay spruce or juniper branches to protect against mice. It remains to cover everything with earth.

To make it more convenient to look for a "cache" in winter, you can think of your own sign - a stick, a flag, an armature ... Buried apples are perfectly stored underground until spring. To be sure, summer residents still pour fallen leaves on top of the pits - it will protect the fruits from the cold.

Treatment with carbon dioxide

There is experience of long-term storage of apples in bags, where carbon dioxide is slowly injected with the help of a siphon for carbonating water (the hole is then sealed). Such a bag of apples is perfectly stored in the basement for a long time.

UV treatment

Enterprising gardeners even offer to treat apples laid out in one layer with a bactericidal ultraviolet lamp (BUF-60). at a distance of 1.5 meters for 20-30 minutes (turning once for uniform exposure). According to those who have tried this method, no putrefactive damage was observed on the fruits during the winter.

Storage conditions for apples

Of course, the creation of prepared fruits is also important. right conditions- those in which they can be stored without harm to themselves, as long as the characteristics of the variety allow.

Storage spaces

Cellar, basement before bringing the fruits for storage, it is recommended to process for disinfection:

• whitewash the walls with freshly slaked lime with copper sulfate (at the rate of 1.5 kg of lime + 150 g blue vitriol per 10 liters of water)
• spray the floor in the cellar with a solution iron sulphate(based on 450-500 g per 10 liters of water)

Storage container

Dimensions, shape and design of containers for winter storage apples can be any. Basic requirements: purity and strength. As for the material, the boxes can be made of wood or cardboard, the baskets can be either wicker or wicker. synthetic materials. Containers in which apples or other fruits and vegetables have already been stored must be cleaned and preferably disinfected.

Storage temperature

The most preferred temperature for storing apples is from -1 degrees to +1. But even at a temperature of +2 ... +4 degrees, the results also remain acceptable.

Humidity

The optimum humidity for storing apples is 85-95%. With low humidity, they quickly fade.

• Sand, which is poured into apples for storage, should not exceed 5% in moisture content, otherwise the apples may begin to deteriorate.
• The method of shifting apples with straw did not justify itself, since the fruits acquire an unpleasant odor.
• With your own hands, you can make partitions for apples out of cardboard by making cuts on its strips at equal distances and aligning the sheets crosswise. Get square cells
• When burying bags of apples in the ground, for convenience, you can tie the bags with a rope, and let the ends of the rope out, tied to a stick. Subsequently, it is enough to pull the rope - the bag will “rise” to the surface.
• In order not to injure the apple while harvesting from the tree, it is enough, taking it in the palm of your hand, to scroll along with the stalk - the apple will easily separate from the branch.
• Apples from trees overfed with fertilizers are poorly stored.
• During the ripening period of apples, you should not water the apple tree, this will have a bad effect on keeping quality.

12 win-win ways to harvest apples for the winter

But from the rest of the apples you can make dozens, if not hundreds of different blanks!
Today we will share with you ideas on how best to process the apple harvest and make the most diverse and win-win in terms of taste and originality winter “apple” preparations.
So, which apples will definitely survive until spring?

This is probably the most the oldest way harvesting apples for the winter.
Dried apples are an unusually tasty product, they can be eaten “just like that” without any additional processing ... Well, who does not remember the pleasant aromatic sourness of the middle and the crispy sweetness of the edges of dried apple fruit?
But in winter you can cook compote, dessert, and stuffing for pies from dried apples.

All varieties of apples are suitable for drying, which makes this harvesting method extremely convenient. There are no restrictions on the shape of the fruit, or on the color, or even on the integrity - any damaged by a worm, hit or injured apples can be cleaned of defects and used for drying.
You can dry apples

• outdoors
• in special dryers
• in electric ovens
• in gas ovens.

If you are sensitive to the color of dried apples, you can hold the sliced ​​\u200b\u200bapple slices in a weak brine(1 incomplete teaspoon of salt per liter of water) 3-4 minutes - then when dried, the apples will remain light, without the characteristic "rusting".
Store dried apples in glass jars or in thick paper bags until the next harvest.

How to dry apples at home is described in the following video clip:

Not all varieties of apples are suitable for urination. The most preferred are autumn and early winter varieties- Antonovka ordinary, Calvil snow, Pepin Lithuanian, Anis Kuban, Autumn striped, Babushkino and others.
It is important that these are uncolored varieties and ripe, healthy, defect-free apples.

The process of urinating is simple, reminiscent of salting and pickling.

The easiest urination recipe
Lay in 3 liter cans leaves of blackcurrant and cherry, on them are apples with tails in rows, shifting each row of fruits with leaves. Pour in brine, cover with a cloth (gauze) and leave at room temperature for several days to ferment. After the appeared foam settles, you can close the jars nylon lids and take it out to the cold.
After 2 months, the apples will be completely ready.

• Water - 5 l
• Sugar - 200 g
• Salt - 1 tbsp. spoon with slide

There are many recipes where the taste of apples is "regulated" with the help of rye flour, honey, dry mustard, tarragon. Some housewives make pickled apples with cabbage or lingonberries.

In the next video, Father Germogen, the chef at the Danilovsky Monastery, will tell you how to cook pickled apples in honey water

Puree, jam and marmalade

Apple puree is a delicate airy product, which is one of the first in life given to an infant and which, until old age, will be present in the diet of almost every person.
The puree is quick and easy to make.
applesauce recipe

• Apples - 2 kg
• Sugar - 150-200 g

Pour the peeled and core apples with water so that the tops of the apples are not covered. Bring to a boil and cook for 5-8 minutes depending on the variety of apples. (Early boiled faster)
As soon as the apples are boiled, put them in a colander and let the water drain.
Add sugar to the remaining pulp and cook for 5 minutes, stirring. The density of the puree can be adjusted using apple broth, which is drained from apples.
Place hot in sterilized jars and roll up. Invert onto lids and wrap until cool.
From 2 kg of apples, almost three 0.5 l jars of puree are obtained.

For baby food, sugar can be omitted, then the puree must be pasteurized.

If a applesauce continue to boil, then it will thicken and turn into another product - jam. As a rule, in relation to the initial volume of mashed potatoes, the finished jam will be almost half the volume. Properly cooked jam is perfectly stored without any sealing; for this, sugar in it should be at least 60-65%

For jam, apples can be boiled (as for mashed potatoes) and baked in the oven. Add sugar to the mass rubbed through a sieve (or in a blender) and boil, stirring, over medium heat for 15 minutes to an hour, depending on the density that is needed.
Put hot jam in prepared and heated jars and roll up. Invert onto lids to cool and wrap.
apple jam recipe

• Apples - 1 kg (weight for already peeled apples)
• Sugar - 500 -700 g

Marmalade
The principle of preparation is the same as for jam. But for marmalade, it is recommended to put a bag with peel and apple "cores" with seeds into the water where apples are boiled - it is they that have the most pectin, which will help marmalade harden. After cooking, the bag is removed, and the apples are rubbed and, after adding sugar, boiled down to the desired density.

apple marmalade recipe

• Apples - 1 kg
• Sugar - 500-700 g

The more sugar, the thicker the marmalade!

Marmalade can be soft and dense. To get sheet marmalade, it is transferred to flat forms and either left in the air to dry, or dried in an oven at a temperature of 50ºС for 1-1.5 hours.

Jam and jam

apple jam- everyone's favorite delicacy.
Given the huge number of varieties of apples, it in itself already turns out different every time, and if we take into account the imagination of our hostesses, it is clear that in winter there will be something to gasp at!

We offer original recipe apple jam, where apple additives are very non-standard.

Recipe "Apple jam with walnuts and spices"

• Apples - 1 kg
• Walnuts - peeled 150 g
• Lemon - 1 medium
• Sugar - 180 g
• Bay leaf - 2 leaves
• Black peppercorns - 3 pieces

Cut the apples into small slices, add water, add a little lemon juice and a few lemon slices, all the sugar and bay leaf and, without stirring, cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Then take out the lemon and bay leaf, add the chopped Walnut and cook for another 15 minutes. At the end, if desired, you can add peppercorns.
It turns out fragrant tender jam with spicy notes.

In the next video - also a recipe for an amazing and unusual apple jam "Apple Masterpiece"

Jam is prepared in the same way as jam. Only boil until the syrup acquires a jelly-like consistency. Classically, jam contains up to 65% sugar, then it keeps well.

Compotes are undoubtedly the most popular drinks that are prepared for the winter.

They are prepared in several ways:

• Option 1 Sliced ​​apple slices are boiled in boiling syrup for 2-3 minutes, placed in sterilized jars and poured with boiling syrup. 1-1.5 cups of sugar are added to a 3-liter jar.

• Option 2. Put prepared apples in jars (whole, halves, slices, slices), a third of the jar, pour boiling water for 5-8 minutes to warm up. Drain the water into a saucepan, add sugar, bring to a boil, pour into jars and roll up. Some housewives do not double, but triple hot fill. Sugar per 3 liter jar - 200-300 g to taste.
• Option 3. Put apples in jars, pour warm water and pasteurize at a temperature of 85ºС 1 liter jars - 15 minutes, 3 liter jars - 30 minutes. Can be without sugar.

To enrich the taste in apple compotes add red or blackcurrant, chokeberry, cherry, lemon, cloves, cinnamon, dry white wine or citric acid on the tip of a knife.

With a juicer, the process of making juice is not difficult. Juice is squeezed from peeled (or even unpeeled) apples, sugar is added (2 tablespoons of sugar per 1 liter of juice), the juice is brought to a boil and immediately poured into the prepared dishes. A jar or bottle is rolled up and placed under wrapping. This juice can be stored up to 2 years.

Apple cider vinegar is considered to be the richest source of such trace elements necessary for humans as calcium, sodium, potassium, iron, boron and magnesium. Apple cider vinegar is especially "rich" in potassium - in 200 grams prepared from fresh apples vinegar contains 240 mg of potassium. Therefore, people who strive for a healthy, proper nutrition, prepare apple cider vinegar for the whole year - just a matter of honor)

Recipe apple cider vinegar

• Apples - 0.8 kg
• Water - 1 l
• Sugar (honey) - 100 g
• Pressed yeast - 10 g (or dry rye bread 0 - 20 g)

Grate apples, add water, sugar, yeast and leave for 10 days in an open jar at a temperature of 20-30ºС with occasional stirring wooden spoon. Then strain, add, if desired, more honey or sugar at the rate of 50 g per liter of juice and leave until the end of fermentation for 40-60 days in a warm place under a cloth (gauze).
Ready vinegar filter, store in the refrigerator.

No wonder they say that a summer day feeds the year. And in the example with apples, a summer day can not only feed, but also drink. And not only juice and compote - apples make a wonderful homemade alcoholic drink. Moreover, it can be prepared both with alcohol (vodka) and with the help of natural fermentation.
It is believed that sour varieties of apples are the most suitable for this purpose, as they are more juicy.

homemade apple pie recipe

• Apples - 2.5 kg
• Sugar - 2 kg
• Vodka - 0.5 l
• Water - 8 l

Fill the jar with chopped slices (peeled and seeds) of apples, pour water and vodka and put in warm place(in the sun) for 2 weeks. If at the end of the term all the slices have already risen to the top and are floating, strain the fermented liquid through gauze (the sediment will remain on it), add sugar and leave again in a warm place for another two days.
Then the jar is transferred to the cold for 10-12 days, after which it is bottled, corked and kept closed in the cold for at least a month. At the end of this period, the liqueur is ready for use. Total time preparation - up to 45-47 days.

In the "apple" notebook of the hostess

• Apple jam is considered ready if the fruits themselves become transparent, and the syrup begins to be covered with a slightly wrinkled film
• Apple jam is ready when the hot drop immediately thickens on a cold surface.
• Jam can be considered ready if, when a wooden spatula is drawn along the bottom of the container where it is cooked, a “path” is formed, which is slowly filled with mass.
• If applesauce or jam is made without sugar, then the blanks must be sterilized
• Most delicious compotes obtained from sweet and sour apples, for cooking alcoholic beverages it is better to take sour, and for apple cider vinegar - only sweet varieties.
• Suitable for pickling more apples sweet varieties

See how much can be made from apples!

Long-term storage of apples in storage is the easiest way to increase the value of the harvest, since the sale of fruits outside the harvest season allows you to count on maximum profit. At the same time, the modern buyer does not want to purchase frankly junk goods, forcing agricultural companies to apply modern technologies storage, saving not only the presentation, but also nutritional value product.

One of these technologies is the practice of crop conservation in.

Classic apple storage technology

Traditional storage technologies are based on the high keeping quality of apples. These fruits are able to ripen during storage, simultaneously improving both the presentation and nutritional quality of the product.

The classical scheme involves placement of fruit containers in an area with low temperatures - from 0 to 7 degrees Celsius. Individual varieties can be placed in refrigerators with a temperature of -2 to 0 °C. In this case, the humidity of the storage environment should be maintained at the level of 85-95 percent.

The following options are used as storage locations:

• Above ground warehouses and underground bunkers, which maintains a constant temperature for storing apples: 4 °C. This mode is provided due to the heat resistance of the walls and 30-fold air exchange.
• Calders- storages with cooled ventilation, assuming the movement of the inflow through the fruits. The air in such a room is cooled due to the low temperature outside. The microclimate is monitored by a differentiating thermostat that determines the amount of cold air intake. Thermal equipment in this case is not used.
• Refrigerators- thermally insulated storage facilities, the atmosphere of which is cooled with the help of a special thermal equipment. (overview and cost)

Acquainted with standard project storage facilities for fruit and vegetable products (for 1500-1600 tons of products) with several storage areas can be

The announced storage conditions for apples provide preservation of fruits for 4-6 months. Then the unsold crop residues are sent for processing or disposed of. At the same time, some apples retain their presentation for a very long time. short term, and only special varieties of fruit can survive the 6-month period.

This practice leads to a reduction in the assortment on the market, for example, even in Italy and France, two or three varieties account for about 70-80 percent of the turnover. However, even the most resistant and long-lived varieties cannot survive a six-month storage period without processing the body of the fruit. chemical reagents that protects the apple from bacteria and fungi.

As a result, classical storage technologies are associated not only with a reduction in the species diversity of varieties, but also with the risk of losing consumer interest in the product. Common varieties of long-term storage quickly become boring, after which the buyer switches his attention to imported, Exotic fruits with a pronounced taste variety.

Industrial storage of apples in a controlled gas environment

Modern storage technologies are based on classic conditions, seasoned with an innovative solution - controlled atmosphere(). AT warehouse maintain 90 percent humidity and controlled temperature (kept between -2 and 7 degrees Celsius), while at the same time changing the proportions of the components of the storage atmosphere.

The classic composition is replaced by an environment with a depleted oxygen content and a high content of carbon dioxide and nitrogen. The oxygen content does not exceed 5%, and the proportion of carbon dioxide can range from 1 to 10%. The rest of the air mass is formed from cheap nitrogen.

ОА – normal atmosphere, RA – controlled atmosphere, 1МЦП – 1-Methylcyclopropene (base product of the group of pesticides included in SmartFresh and Fitomag), Bi-On – ultra-absorbent ethylene absorber; - Not recommended; * - if the storage period is exceeded, there is a possibility of damage to the fruit by sunburn

Deprived of a natural oxidant, apples remain in the same state as at the time of harvest. Nitrogen and pectin substances, carbohydrates and organic acids, phenolic compounds and vitamins, pigments and lipids - they all lose the chance for natural transformation after interaction with oxygen, and an excess of carbon dioxide reinforces this effect.

As a result, any warehouse with CGS allows you to count on the following advantages:

• Long shelf life of apples - some varieties can be sold even in June.
• Minimal losses - the amount of scrap can be reduced by half, even in comparison with the performance of refrigerators.
• The possibility of storing varieties with a phobia to low temperatures- in the RGS-chamber it can be increased to 3-4 degrees Celsius, without any consequences.
• Easy portability of the process of unloading and unloading - the tissue of the apple retains its natural elasticity.
• Absence of "sunburn" on the surface of the skin, spots of rot inside the tissues of the apple and other traditional defects that reduce the commercial value of the crop.

In a controlled atmosphere (gas environment), even the most tender varieties of apples can be preserved until the next harvest, increasing the range offered to customers or retailers.

Equipment for the CGS warehouse

Such a storage can be based on an ordinary refrigerated warehouse, retrofitting it with the following elements:

• Hermetic gates, which will ensure the stability of the atmosphere created inside the warehouse.
• nitrogen generators, which will increase the content of this gas in the storage room.
• Equipment for fast and ultra-fast removal of oxygen from the atmosphere of the warehouse, since from the moment the fruits are harvested from the apple tree, it is better to reduce the time for loading fruits into the CGS storage to 24 hours. Each subsequent day reduces the storage time by 2-3 weeks.
• Adsorbers excess carbon dioxide and gaseous products emitted by the apples themselves (ethylene, etc.).
• Humidifiers and dehumidifiers that maintain the recommended level of ambient humidity.

The walls and floors of the storage should provide zero (or close to it) gas permeability, so they will have to be treated special formulations or protect with special materials.

RCA or ILOS units are usually used as equipment for oxygen removal. To remove excess ethylene, catalytic converters (LECA technology) are used.

The nitrogen generator is connected to the pressure channels, and the catalysts and adsorbers are connected to the exhaust lines. ventilation system, cycling the air exchange of the warehouse.

The creation and maintenance of a controlled atmosphere is controlled by automation (often used), which reads signals from internal gas analyzers and transmits commands to air dampers and fans. The circulating medium passes through the generators and adsorbers until the desired concentration of the components of the controlled atmosphere is reached.

The temperature in the storage room is maintained using thermal equipment cold store. Fruits are stored in containers placed in a special way.

Ways to place containers

Apple storage boxes usually hold from 20-30 to 250-300 kilograms of fruit. When sorting, preference is given to hand-picked fruits with intact skin.

Typical wooden container for long-term storage of apples

The walls of the box should not be solid - this prevents air exchange, and containers cannot occupy more than 80% of the total volume of the warehouse. When placing containers inside the warehouse, it is customary to adhere to the following schemes:

• Formation of a solid stack with ventilation gaps separating every two or four boxes. The minimum spacing is 10 cm.
• Laying in stacks on a slatted floor, up to three meters high. At the same time, meter-long passages are made in stacks, placed in increments of 3-5 meters. They are necessary for visual quality control of stored products.
• Formation of a package, 4-5 tiers high. This scheme involves the use of a forklift moving the stack on a pallet. Moreover, in 50-ton warehouses, stacks are placed without gaps, and in rooms with large storage volumes, a central 1.5-meter passage is left. With this scheme, the distance from the wall to the nearest package (pallet) should not be less than 50 centimeters.
• Packing the box in a film that retains water vapor, but is permeable to carbon dioxide and oxygen. In this case, it is possible to operate both 1 kg boxes and 300 kg containers.

When loading a warehouse with a controlled atmosphere, it is customary to use a solid stack scheme, leaving control boxes in front of the viewing window of the hermetic gate, for visual control of the safety of fruits.

Before laying the stacks, it is customary to treat the warehouse premises with special compounds that destroy the beginnings of fungal and mold colonies. In a similar way, you can deal with stored fruits by applying additional protective measures.

How are apples processed for storage?

Varieties with a structure that is problematic for storage - thin skin and juicy pulp - it is customary to process with wax, covering the fruits thin layer protector mixed with fungicides. Thanks to this, both the density of the apple and its color can be preserved.

An alternative to wax is a special composition prepared on the basis of baking soda, iodine, starch and potassium iodide, which are dissolved in water. An iodine-polymer film appears on the surface of an apple that has dived into this solution, which is washed off with plain water.

An analogue of wax can be considered any edible fat mixed with an acceptable sanitary standards antiseptic. For example, apples can be stored in Vaseline-treated paper.

The mentioned compositions increase the shelf life of fruits even when using classical technologies, reducing losses from physiological diseases.

The AgroKhranStroy company carries out the construction of fruit and vegetable storage facilities for storage in the RGS, as well as the supply and installation of equipment for existing warehouses. All details regarding the configuration of equipment and its cost can be clarified by phone - 8 - 800 -234-03-44 or by leaving a request through the form feedback below.

Apples put up for sale in stores during the cold season do not please with either cost or taste, so many people have a question, how to store apples for the winter? After all, it is much better to independently prepare a fresh crop of apples from the summer, grown with love in your garden or bought from other gardeners, than buying glossy fruits treated with various chemicals in the supermarket.

Secrets of Successful Apple Storage

Harvesting a crop of homemade apples for storage, you will know for sure what will not enter your body. harmful substances, besides, the taste and aroma of the fruit will remain almost as rich as if they had just been plucked from the tree!

At experienced gardeners there are proven methods on how to store apples in winter. We bring to your attention various ways storage of apples, from which you can choose the one that will be the most effective and convenient in your case.

When choosing varieties of apples, be sure to pay attention to such an important property as fruit keeping quality.

How long you manage to keep apples depends not only on the chosen storage method, but also on the variety of apples. Some varieties do not lose their taste even after six months (provided proper storage), while others must be consumed immediately after harvest. When choosing, be sure to pay attention to such an important property as the keeping quality of fruits - it is she who determines whether it is possible to harvest apples for the winter.

Video about how to store apples for the winter

The most popular varieties suitable for long-term storage are: Antonovka ordinary, Bogatyr, Melba, Golden Delicious, Zhigulevskoye, Starkrimson, Jonathan, McIntosh, Welsya, Starking, Northern Sinap, Simirenko.

To keep apples as long as possible, it is important to pick them from the tree correctly:

• fruits should not be strongly squeezed with fingers, crushed, scratched;
• it is not recommended to cut off the stalks;
• the harvest is folded neatly in containers, without throwing, otherwise dents will remain on the apples;
• when plucking from a tree, you need to grab the fruits with the whole palm, lifting and scrolling them along with the stalk;
• cleaning should begin from the lower tier of the crown of the apple tree;
• Harvesting can only be done in dry weather.

All collected apples must be sorted into large, medium and small fruits with damage. big apples stored worse than fruits of the same variety, but smaller. The third category is usually used for making compotes, jams and other preparations.

Apples collected from mature trees on the outside of the crown last longer

Also, the keeping quality of apples is affected by the fertilizers that you applied during the season. With an excess of nitrogen fertilizers, the fruits quickly lose their density, which adversely affects the shelf life. From overuse phosphorus fertilizers, the fruits coarsen. Lack of calcium causes glassiness and darkening of the pulp. But if you applied potash fertilizers to the soil in the right proportions, the color of the fruits will be more attractive.

It is worth noting that apples harvested from mature trees last longer (young apple trees are more susceptible to disease) from the outside of the crown, where the fruits receive more sunlight.

High temperature and waterlogging during the ripening period of apples negatively affects their keeping quality - in no case do not water the apple trees at this time!

Various ways to keep apples for a long time

Storage of apples for the winter in most cases is carried out in a room specially prepared for this, where the temperature is maintained at a level of 0 to +3 degrees, and the air humidity does not rise above 90%. From high temperature apples are starting to turn yellow. The walls in the vault should first be whitewashed, and the floor should be treated with a solution of iron sulfate.

Storage of apples in city apartments is possible in ordinary food cellophane bags

Cool the harvested crop immediately by placing the fruits in the refrigerator or in the basement. Sorted apples do not need to be washed and wiped, as the wax coating will protect the fruit from diseases. Sometimes apples are additionally greased or dipped in melted wax to protect against pests.

The most common storage option: wrap the prepared apples in paper and place the stalks up in a dry, clean container (moisture-resistant cardboard or wooden boxes, lattice chests, baskets). You can lay the apples on their side with the stalks to one side, shifting each layer of fruit with paper, wood shavings or straw. Separately wrapped in paper apples are stored better, because if one of them rots, the rot will not pass to neighboring fruits.

Option for storing apples in plywood boxes with sand:

• newspapers are laid on the concrete floor of the basement, on top of which apples are laid out in two layers so that each fruit is visible;
• a month later, the best fruits are selected and moved to a plywood box for storage;
• a layer of sand of 20 cm is poured on the bottom of the box, apples are tightly laid on the sand in one layer, a layer of sand is poured on top again so that the fruits are completely hidden - so several layers;
• boxes are installed along the wall in two tiers with a clearance of about two centimeters.

With such storage, if the sand is not wet, the apples will not deteriorate until May-April, remaining juicy and fragrant.

Video about the easiest way to store apples at home

If you do not have a basement or other suitable storage space, put the collected and sorted apples in plastic bags of one and a half kilograms and tie them tightly. On the site, dig a trench for one or two bayonets of a shovel, to a non-freezing depth, carefully place bags of apples in the hole, leaving a distance of 20 cm between them so as not to damage the fruits when digging. Cover the trench with earth, cover with branches and foliage on top to create additional warmth in winter. Be sure to mark the location of each bag with a stick. As needed, you can dig up the fruits until spring - they will taste the same as those plucked from a tree.

It is more difficult for urban residents who have their own land plot no, but I want to eat homemade apples. Storage of apples in city apartments is possible in ordinary plastic food bags. Half fill the bags with sorted undamaged apples, tie off and cut a hole about 10 cm long in the middle of the bag.

Put the bags of apples in a warm garage or apartment so that the fruits do not freeze. On a humid day, water droplets will form inside the bag, and on a dry day, the fruit will absorb this moisture. In such conditions, apples do not dry out for a long time, remaining fresh and elastic.

Apples are wonderful fruits, tasty and healthy. To enjoy them all year round, you should know how to store apples for the winter. There are several secrets that relate to harvesting, choosing certain fruits and, directly, to storage itself. This article will be about this.

How to store apples for the winter: choosing the right varieties for storage

The first correct step towards long-term storage of apples in winter is the choice of variety. It will depend on this how long they can lie down, save everything nutrients and don't rot.

There are autumn and winter varieties. Each should be laid out separately, since the former should be eaten quickly (their shelf life is approximately two months), and the latter can be stored a little longer (four to seven months).

Suitable and popular varieties for this:

• antonovka ordinary;
• hero;
• northern synapse;
• knight;
• lighthouse;
• Zhiguli;
• Oryol winter;
• cortland;
• chosen one;
• Jonathan;
• simirenko;
• Aurora Crimean;
• Olympic;
• starking.

What apples to use for bookmarking

For stacking, apples must be plucked from the tree if you want to keep them longer. Those that fell to the ground can, of course, lie down for a while (only if they were whole), but they need to be eaten first.

So, what should be noted for those apples that you pick from the tree:

• apples are harvested when the first healthy and ripe apples began to fall (this is called the moment of removable maturity);
• picking apples from a tree should only be in dry weather;
• be sure to keep the stalk;
• apples should not be wiped - natural plaque will help it last longer;
• those apples that have already been picked should not be thrown so as not to damage them;
• you need to pick apples from a tree from the lower branches, and then move on to the upper ones.

After picking, apples should be kept in a cool place for two weeks to identify possible defects and remove such fruits. Then they are once again viewed, sorted and sorted. Only after that they can be laid for long-term storage.

How to stack apples for long-term storage

There are several ways to store apples in the winter. Each of them is good in its own way, so you can choose the one that suits you best:

• by the most in a simple way storage is their simple stacking. It is carried out in one row with the stalks up, it is not necessary to shift the apples. You can also simply put apples in a box or basket, completely filling it. But this method is the most short-lived, the fruits must be checked constantly so that rot does not appear.
• A good way that does not require regular checking is paper wrapping. Apples for such styling should be carefully selected, then wrapped in paper or a paper napkin, then stacked in rows in a box. The fruits should be laid out with the stalks up.
• Another way is layering. To do this, you need to take a box in which to pour clean and dry sand along with ash. This layer should be about three centimeters. Then you need to put apples on it, but so that their barrels do not touch each other. From above, you still need to pour sand with ash. Thus, two or three layers can be put in the box. Other materials can also be used instead of sand. For example, buckwheat husks, linen tows, onion husks, husks, peat, moss, tree leaves, tree shavings, sawdust.
• Or you can even store apples in plastic bags. You need to put two or three kilograms of apples in the bag, make small holes in it (four or five things will be enough). The temperature for storing apples in this way is zero, with a tolerance of one degree in one direction or another.
• You can also store apples in the ground, especially if there is no basement. We dig a hole, which should have a depth of about fifty centimeters, you need to put juniper or spruce branches at the bottom so that the mice do not eat the apples. Then pack the apples in bags of five or six kilograms, and put them in a hole during the cold season (somewhere minus five or minus seven degrees). From above, such a hole can be sprinkled with fallen leaves. You can also put up a sign so that after the snow falls, the caches can be found.

If apples are stored in the basement, then you should know that it needs to be processed before laying. For the floor, a solution of iron sulfate is used (450-500 grams per ten liters of water). For walls, a mixture of freshly slaked lime and vitriol is used (1.5 kilograms of lime, 150 grams of vitriol and ten liters of water).

If we talk about storage temperature, then the most optimal will be from -1 degree to +1 degree. But if it is slightly higher, up to +4 degrees, then this will also be normal. The main thing is not more, otherwise the apples will spoil faster.

Storage humidity should be 85-95%. If the humidity gets lower, the apples will be sluggish.

Now knowing how to store apples for the winter and following them rigorously, you can keep these delicious fruits until early spring.

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