What are some apples that will be tasty into Jan to March etc in basement/root cellar conditions 60F? I’ve saw mentioned that Enterprise and Black Limbertwig need to be stored a few months to attain best flavor. What are some others that last good?
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Arkansas blacking, Black twig
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GoldRush, if you can ripen it. Lady Williams is a similar proposition, as is Hauer Pippin.
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To the above: Thracian late, keeps to the next year’s harvest, unlike some of long keepers - fresh as just picked from the tree in April/May, cellar storage.
Thracian late on May 7th, after 6+ months storage
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Black Oxford, late Russets like Golden, Roxbury, Stark, Ben Davis, Northern Spy, Winesap, Keepsake, AK Black, Black Limbertwig are a few from my orchard that hold well in the cellar
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Melrose keeps great.
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Prairie Spy keeps well for us in the refrigerator - I can’t speak to cellar conditions. Actually, Jonagold and even Cameo and Yellow Delicious are pretty fair keepers. We eat our Liberties well into February or even March, but they are definitely declining by January. Even now they are starting to get mealy.
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Hi Paul, I have a root cellar and the storage apple I have right now is Haralson which keeps well in a good year. I’ve had them last till April. But you mentioned 60 deg and that will likely be a big issue for any apple. A “good” year for me is when we have a cold fall and the root cellar drops from summer 60 deg to 50’s Oct/Nov, then 40 by early Dec. Then apples keep in fairly good condition. This year we had record hot summer and mild fall so the root cellar was warm longer and late in cooling down. Plus my Haralsons matured earlier so were in the roots cellar the end of Sept. So they aren’t keeping nearly as well, half being wrinkled already. Not a big problem since I mostly make sauce of them. But I doubt I’ll have any in good shape to keep till late winter this year.
If you can find a way to get your cellar temperatures down you’ll have better luck storing your apples. I’m not sure any apple will store well at 60 degrees. But certainly you have the right idea of looking for the best storing apple no matter your conditions. Sue
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I should mention that I have a friend whose Wealthy apples seem to keep extraordinarily well into May! That is in the refrigerator, though.
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Great info!! Thank yall!! And another question, are any of these on the later side of the bloom time to escape late frost?
Winter Banana is a good keeper and a very good pollinator.
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Nobody mentioned Keepsake? I never grew it but thought that was its claim to fame.
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well …
I have forgotten. The variety.
But cleaning out the fridge today, I found this.
Calling it “ grumpy “
Not a good apple crop here this year, very few, late frost…
Sadly , this year this is my “longest keeper “
And a fitting expression…
Just finished the Warren pears
Normal years ( remember those ? )
I would still be eating Fuji, Arkansa black now a And for a month or so.
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I have Keepsake scion ordered from bob purvis orchard! Sounds amazing keeper!!
Wow that one looks fit for nightmares and with it not making it to the new year it must point to a hungry winter… 
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I love grumpy!!
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@Sue-MiUPz3ca can you mention how you pack the fruit for storage, and any packing tips?
Thanks
Hi Regina, After harvest I just sort the apples into Best - for longest storage, Damaged - for first eating or sauce, and Inbetweens which will be eaten/sauced next. They’re stored in half bushel wooden boxes, crates or baskets in the root cellar. I don’t have a way to separate potatoes from apples so they’re all in the same room, along with carrots and peppers and whatever else I have. I’ll put a rug or blanket over the best apples. Periodically I sort through all of the apples and rearrange into those categories, making sauce to eat fresh and/or can. Right now my root cellar temp is upper 30’s. This works OK for me. Sue
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Thanks for all the great info!I was thinking maybe you couldn’t stack them or had to separate them using some cardboard or some thing. I have a dug out basement but its probably 50 with the furnace heat. Im anxious to try saving more over the winter best to you on this special day