Keeping apples

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Keeping apples

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derbyshiredowser

Joined: 11 Feb 2007
Posts: 980
Location: derbyshire

Posted: Sat Mar 24, 18 5:58 pm Post subject: Keeping apples

We normally wipe and wrap our apples in newspaper and then in melon boxes in an old rabbit hutch to keep them fresh until march april time.
This year we were over run with the amount so just put them in boxes and left a large amount in a massive wheel barrow in the carport and they've kept as well as the hutch apples. The variety is Discovery and are still crisp to eat. It may be a fluke but we certainly won't wrap next year to see if its the same.

gz

Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Posts: 8916
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland

Posted: Sat Mar 24, 18 7:49 pm Post subject:
Very interesting seeing as the parents are supposed to be Worcester Permain x Beauty of Bath, and I never found the latter a good keeper

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15966

Posted: Sun Mar 25, 18 6:59 am Post subject:
You were lucky they kept as well. Either the crop round here wasn't as good, or more were sold, because our local farm shop is pretty well out of English apples, even though there is a large storage facility near here. Might be as well to store some in the normal way and not wrap others. That way, if the season is different and not so good for storage, you won't lose all of them.

gregotyn

Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area

Posted: Sat Apr 21, 18 9:49 am Post subject:

Strange that 'Discovery' keeps, I really thought it was an none keeper. Many years ago now I inherited an orchard with 100 fruit trees and was advised that 'Discovery', a lovely eater, but to sell/eat as soon as possible as they would not last. Mine was not a keeper as I tried. Can there be, or indeed, are there different strains of that apple within the variety? I have to buy apples now and usually have Royal Gala. Discovery, I was told, was the season's first eater to appear on the UK market and didn't last on the shelves.

gz

Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Posts: 8916
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland

Posted: Sat Apr 21, 18 10:47 am Post subject:
Thats what I'd learnt..I wouldn't be surprised if there were more strains.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46207
Location: yes

Posted: Sat Apr 21, 18 1:01 pm Post subject:

ones with a waxy coat keep best

layered on newspaper, not touching each other in boxes or draws works pretty well. check em now and again .

single layer in a coolish, mid humidity place is best.

some will keep ok even if overlooked under a table in a warm room for a few months even if as picked and crammed in a rucksack.

commercially temp, co2 and a surface dressing are used to extend shelf life

turn em into cider and they last ages

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45669
Location: Essex

Posted: Sat Apr 21, 18 8:43 pm Post subject:
Discovery definitely isn’t a keeper, got to be a different variety

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46207
Location: yes

Posted: Sun Apr 22, 18 12:04 pm Post subject:

something that does make a lot of difference to how long they keep is handling. some of the stuff below could make a lot of difference even for different experiences with one type of apple

as gentle as handling an unstable primary at all stages of storage is good.
no rubbing and certainly no washing, a gentle pick of any "bits" stuck to the skin is ok.
if multi layer storage is necessary for space etc no more than 4 layers to avoid gravity issues applied to layer one.
clean : papers, hands, boxes and draws applies to apples as well as cricket
the pressed card trays used for commercial apples are ace

apply normal anti vermin sop's for mice, rats, slugs and suchlike .
careful handling is not only good against rot or drying out but avoids attractive smells to vermin

another great way to keep apples is by drying. this works for keepers and eat immediately types .
prep into slices, dip in citric acid solution or acidic fruit juice (lemon etc ) , dry windy and coolish.
eat or use as slices or stick slices in a blender to make apple dust for sauces,cakes etc etc .

if you happen to have one a few seconds with a moderate sized cobalt 60 source will make em last ages

NorthernMonkeyGirl

Joined: 10 Apr 2011
Posts: 4630
Location: Peeping over your shoulder

Posted: Sun Apr 22, 18 12:17 pm Post subject:

dpack wrote:

single layer in a coolish, mid humidity place is best.

By humid, is "damp enough to soften cardboard" too humid?

derbyshiredowser

Joined: 11 Feb 2007
Posts: 980
Location: derbyshire

Posted: Sun Apr 22, 18 12:25 pm Post subject:
As I wrote this post last month some of the apples have now turned but despite a wrinkled skin the flesh is still reasonably crisp. We bought the tree as a Discovery from Scotland Nursery in Matlock over 30 years ago but must admit we have always wondered if in fact it was a Discovery. Cobalt 60 seems the way to go . Any suggestions of type gratefully received. Photos taken today.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46207
Location: yes

Posted: Sun Apr 22, 18 12:35 pm Post subject:

NorthernMonkeyGirl wrote:

dpack wrote:

single layer in a coolish, mid humidity place is best.

By humid, is "damp enough to soften cardboard" too humid?

probably too damp if the box fails or becomes a culture medium. a little less than crisp is to be expected but soft is too damp

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46207
Location: yes

Posted: Sun Apr 22, 18 12:55 pm Post subject:

derbyshiredowser wrote:

As I wrote this post last month some of the apples have now turned but despite a wrinkled skin the flesh is still reasonably crisp. We bought the tree as a Discovery from Scotland Nursery in Matlock over 30 years ago but must admit we have always wondered if in fact it was a Discovery. Cobalt 60 seems the way to go . Any suggestions of type gratefully received. Photos taken today.

it could be the semi randomly created, specific conditions of temp humidity airflow etc were so close to perfect that a non keeper lasted better than expected.
it might not be discovery or may just be a new discovery type

have you sliced one vertically and horizontally to compare it with the standard
anatomy of discovery?

might help

the linky goes to a random type to demonstrate the level of detail for an id. ps that site has plenty but there are about 7000 named varieties and plenty with no specific name

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45669
Location: Essex

Posted: Sun Apr 22, 18 6:23 pm Post subject:
Could be anything. But definitely not Discovery it doesn’t have that russetting at the top

gregotyn

Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area

Posted: Tue Apr 24, 18 2:29 pm Post subject:

My Discoveries were a lighter shade of red than that Derbyshiredowser, and definitely slightly flatter, with no russetting. The orchard that I 'inherited' has now gone and there have been 2 further occupants since me so not possible to go back for a look. The man who planted the orchard was a bit of an authority on gardening and he grew this orchard and left the map of what was there. His speciality was breeding dahlias, but his orchard was good. He took the dahlias with him when he left!

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