How to Store Apples: 2 Ways to Store Fresh Apples

When storing apples, make sure you choose the best apples for storing long-term, and quickly use up the ones that will go bad. Here are some things to consider when you pick apples for storing:

1. 1. Separate the rotten apples from the bushel. First, use any apples with soft spots, bruises, or blemishes. Keep bruised apples away from the bushel you want to store. Apples with bruises produce ethylene gas, which speeds up the rate at which surrounding apples ripen and rot.
2. 2. Store crisp, tart apples. The best apples to store long-term have thick skin and are crisp and tart. Apple varieties such as Granny Smith, Fuji, McIntosh, Fuji, Winesap, Honeycrisp, Northern Spy, or Rome can last six months or longer. Sweeter apples like Golden Delicious will not last as long.
3. 3. Find apples with stems. Apples with intact stems last longer than those without stems. Microorganisms can enter apples with detached stems, leading to decay.
4. 4. Source fresh apples. When you're looking to store apples for a long time, get the apples directly from an apple tree or a farm. Grocery store apples have already been stored for a long time, which will decrease the amount of time you can store them in your home.

Follow these tips to properly store apples you plan on using in a few weeks:

1. 1. Keep apples at room temperature. Whole apples left on the counter, away from direct sunlight, will keep for a week.
2. 2. Store apples in the crisper drawer. Whole apples can last up to six weeks in the refrigerator crisper drawer. To keep them fresh, wrap the apples in a damp paper towel or place them in a plastic bag with holes. Make sure you store apples away from other produce because the ethylene gas that apples give off will make other fruits and vegetables ripen more quickly.
3. 3. Squeeze lemon juice on apple slices. Cut apples will keep in the refrigerator for three to five days. You can toss the apple slices in lemon juice to keep them from browning.

If you are looking to store apples for a few months, consider the following long-term storage options:

1. 1. Keep your apples in a dark, cool place. Traditionally, the best way to store apples long-term was in a root cellar. Those places are dark and cold—the preferred environment for apples. You may not have a root cellar, but you can turn your unheated basement or garage into an apple storage room; make sure the room is cold and gets plenty of air circulation.
2. 2. Wrap the apples before storage. To store whole apples long-term, wrap each apple in paper and gently put it in a box. If your home is dry, you may want to mist the wrapped apples regularly (you won't need to remove them from the paper). Check on the apples once a week, and remove any with signs of decay. You can eat these apples fresh, or cook with them.
3. 3. Freeze the apples. You can also freeze the apples, which will keep for up to six months in the freezer. Toss the cut apples in lemon juice to prevent them from browning, then dry them. You can then flash freeze the cut apples, or even whole apples, overnight. After flash freezing, transfer them to a freezer bag for long-term storage. Note that freezing apples will cause them to lose their crispness and some of their texture. Frozen apples work best for recipes that require cooked apples, such as apple pie, apple butter, or apple sauce.

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