Hoping each of you you can share some apples you still have in storage.
I don’t have refrigerator space for scions and apples both, so I’m checking the state of my remaining apples. I had quite a few I had to toss, but I thought these were nice for mid January. Clearly I haven’t tasted all of them so that’s yet to be done
In this photo by row, left to right
Row 1:Tiny golden delicious, pipsqueak, Sundance, Johnson’s keeper.
Row 2 pink pearl (I know, unlikely) muskmelon sweet, pink lady, black LT
Row 3: Johnson’s keeper, red cinnamon, and two Hubbardston none such
Row 3: all Golden delicious
Row 4: all Virginia beauty
I use an inkbird 308 thermostat to convert a chest freezer into a fridge without having to change any parts out. The only downside is that anything that touches the sides will freeze during cooldown so I use boxes and bins to keep a small air gap.
I’m still eating Honeycrisp, Pinova and Haralson like they were fresh from the tree.
I do still sort through and find ones that are going bad monthly so they don’t spoil everything.
I have a handful of (really wrinkled) Roxbury Russets and a few (less wrinkled) Goldrush still sitting on my counter with no refridgeration since we got them at a nearby orchard (roxburys we got in september, goldrush was at the start of November).
I imagine the half dozen Goldrush I actually did put in my fridge will keep for months more at this rate.
They look a bit ugly (esp the Russets) but still eat pretty good for apples not kept in cold storage.
Our best keeper is the Arkansas Black, which I am eating right now. It has to be in storage a couple of months before it is good to eat.
None of our apples kept well this year because I turned the thermostat too high (55 degrees F). I had put a few apples in our crisper drawer and this Arkansas Black is perfect. We also grow McIntosh, Winesap, Granny Smith and Wolf River.
A spare fridge in the basement still has a bit over a bushel of Stayman apples. We put 6 to a plastic grocery store bag tied tight, no holes. Not sure if that helps or not, Ethylene gas might permeate HDPE or this might help prevent it Most of these were purchased, my trees produced some but not quite that much. We’ll be eating on them until April or possibly later. From November until then there’s usually little if any damage or degradation of taste.
Here’s a photo of Johnson’s keeper on a day I picked it.
Here’s the one from storage
I think they are the same. Glad to get the questions. I’m going back to check them.
Sweet 16 / Hunge
Reine des Reinettes / Rubinette
RdR again / Hawaii
I also have a bushel of Yates, I should start doing things with them soon as they are about peak now. The Sweet 16 keeps better than I thought given they are not all that late ripening. Hunge RdR and Rubinette are not great keepers but are still enjoyable. Hunge is my best apple for not rotting but they get mealy.
I think I already mentioned it but Sweet 16 is my winner apple of the year, and it’s even a bigger winner given how well it is storing. They have a rich unique flavor. The longer stored ones get richer but are less crunchy. Well I should quality the storage a bit, the flesh is still great, no mealiness, but they are somewhat prone to skin rots… about average but not what you want in a long storage Apple.