The product, information, and gift card have been provided by the makers of In The Raw® so that I could try the product and share my thoughts and information about Stevia In The Raw®. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and do not reflect the opinions of the makers of In The Raw® sweeteners.
How To Keep Apples Fresh Longer
Storing Apples for Maximum Freshness
One of my favorite things about fall is that apples are in season. While you can certainly get them year around at your local grocery store, fall is when they really come into their own. You can find the tastiest, freshest apples from September through November and you can find some great deals – particularly when you buy local or pick your own at the orchard.
The problem then is of course how to best store all those apples once you get them home. Here are some tips and ideas to help you make them last.
1. Kick Out Those Bad Apples!
Start by checking every single apple for bruising or rot. A single rotting apple stored with the rest will cause all your apples to ripen, and then over-ripen quickly. Only healthy apples that don’t have nicks or bruises and aren’t too ripe yet should be stored. Sort out the rest and use them for eating, baking, and cooking with right away.
2. Cook the Bad Apples So They Don’t Go to Waste
You can also preserve those apples by turning them into applesauce or apple pie filling and canning or freezing the finished product as needed. One way that I do this and keep our calorie counts in check is by using Stevia In The Raw® instead of sugar.
Using Stevia In The Raw® Bakers Bags are super simple because you simply trade out cup for cup when a recipe calls for sugar. Seriously, this simple change saves me 700 calories for every cup of sugar I replace in a recipe! The sweetness comes from the leaves of the stevia plant.
3. Sort Like Apples Together
Sort your apples by variety, and then by size. Larger apples will go bad faster than others and different apple varieties have different shelf lives. You want to be able to eat and use the apples that will go bad faster first. Keep the smaller apples of long-lasting varieties for last and you’ll have fresh and delicious apples well into winter and even early spring. Tart, thick-skinned apples usually last the longest. Keep that in mind as you pick different apple varieties.
4. Choose Storage Containers Carefully
Don’t store your apples in plastic. Instead, choose crates or baskets that allow the fruit to breathe. Apples emit ethylene, a gas that helps ripen fruit. You want the air to flow around your apples and allow excess ethylene to escape otherwise your apples will ripen and rot much faster.
You may have heard of this principle in action when you put an apple in a brown bag with green bananas to encourage them to ripen faster. If you’re storing apples, you want to slow down that ripening process.
5. Apples LOVE the Dark
Store the crates or baskets of apples in a dark, cool place. Basements are great, provided they are dry and get good air flow. Your pantry is another good option.
Store your apples away from onions and potatoes for best results. If you are only storing a small amount of apples, the crisper drawer in your fridge is another good option.
6. Check Your Apples Regularly
Inspect your apples regularly and pick out any fruit that’s starting to rot. This will prevent all your apples from going bad. Get in the habit of inspecting your apple harvest once a week, or anytime to dig in to pick fresh apples for eating.
Do you have any tips for how to keep apples fresh longer?
Check out these delicious apple recipes from Stevia In The Raw®
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