The Antonovka apple tree is the most common variety in domestic areas. Wanting to purchase an environmentally friendly, non-waxed fruit, buyers prefer this particular variety. Choosing an unpretentious apple tree, which annually gives a guaranteed rich harvest, gardeners plant Antonovka again. But in order for the fruits to be tasty, they do not lose their freshness and pleasant appearance during storage, it is very important to know the exact dates of apple ripening and The right way their collection.
When can you start collecting?
To correctly determine the time of harvesting fruits, it is necessary to be able to distinguish between consumer and removable maturity. Consumer readiness implies the state of fruit when they are already fully ripe, have become softer. Having collected them, you can immediately begin canning. In the case of Antonovka, such maturity occurs in the middle and at the end of October.
And removable maturity is the state of the fruit in which they are not yet fully ripe, have a hard texture, contain a large number of acids and few sugars. At this time, the apples are ready for picking and transportation. As a rule, the period of harvesting for storage occurs in late September - early October. The readiness of the fruit for picking is evidenced by its appearance: the apple in some places acquires a yellowish color.
You should not wait for the time when yellowness appears on the entire area of \u200b\u200bthe fruit. This means that it is fully ripe and will keep quite poorly. Apples collected for storage should gradually ripen in a container. Also, do not pick green apples yet, the amount of useful vitamins and minerals in them will be minimal, and when the state is separated from the tree, the fruits will no longer be able to replenish the composition of useful elements, especially since Antonovka fruits never crumble, wait right level maturity is possible without fear of crop loss.
Proper collection and storage of Antonovka apples
Before picking apples, you must first prepare baskets or boxes. They must be absolutely dry. It is recommended to wrap their middle with a cloth or polyethylene, lay out hay. In this case, the fruits always remain dry, are not exposed to moisture, and their appearance is not damaged due to imprints from the hard surface of the container. The storage room is also prepared the day before collection. It must be carefully removed, cleaned of dust, rinsed with a disinfectant solution. Apples will last the longest in a cold, dry place.
Picking Antonovka apples begins in the morning, when the dew has disappeared, but the sun has not yet come out, which will heat the fruit. The weather must be dry so that the fruits are never placed wet in the box. Fruits are plucked from the lower branches, gradually approaching the fruits located at the top of the tree. index finger press gently on the top of the stalk, being careful not to break it or fruit branch. If apples fall by themselves during picking from a tree, they should not be put to the plucked ones. with my own hands fruit. Usually these fruits are of inferior quality and may not store well.
The question "When to harvest apples?" not as simple as it seems. The degree of maturity largely determines the keeping quality of fruits in storage. Harvesting unripe apples leads to a decrease in yield, while not achieving the size, color and taste typical for the variety. But you can not be late with the removal. The fruits will massively fall off the tree and be poorly stored. And the tree itself will be weakened, which will lead to a decrease in winter hardiness and productivity in the next season.
There are removable and consumer degrees of fruit ripeness. The removable degree occurs when the main growth processes are completed, and the fruits have acquired the color and aroma characteristic of the variety. The consumer degree of maturity of the fruits are already in storage. As a result of ongoing biochemical and physical processes, apples acquire juiciness, softness and taste.
It is not possible to give an exact harvest time as it varies by variety, season and region. The maturity of an apple can be determined as follows: lift it in the palm of your hand, if it easily separates from the fruit along with the stem, then the harvest time has come. Another sign of maturity is the first carrion. Fruits thrown off by strong gusts of wind or fallen as a result of activity, codling moths are not taken into account.
An indicator of the state of maturity is the color of the seeds, which change from white to light brown and then brown. In most varieties, with the onset of seed coloring, the skin becomes brighter in color. Varieties early term start harvesting slightly immature, when the seeds are still completely white or the tip is just beginning to turn light brown. Delays in cleaning will result in most of crumble, and late-picked apples will quickly become lethargic. The first to reach removable ripeness are the fruits located on the outside of the crown and well lit by the sun, and those located in the depths of the crown are the last. Apples are not removed all in a row, but already painted. Carefully removed fruits are carefully placed in a basket or box with a soft lining, as damaged ones are stored poorly. Then the harvested crop is carefully transferred to a storage box.
Autumn varieties are removed when the seeds in apples are half colored light brown, and the fruits acquire a characteristic color for the variety. Varieties intended for winter storage are harvested after all the seeds turn brown. Autumn and winter varieties ripen after picking.
The fruits are removed manually, and on the upper branches of the tree they are removed with a fruit picker. Harvesting is carried out in dry weather, as high humidity contributes to the development of fungal diseases. Only intact fruits are left for storage. Even through microdamages, fungal spores penetrate the pulp and spoil it.
When starting harvesting, remember that the removed apples function like living organisms, ripening and aging processes take place in them. And the faster they are placed in storage, the faster these processes will be stopped. The permissible duration between removal and storage should not exceed, depending on the variety, from 12 to 36 hours. And the sooner harvested crop will be placed in a refrigerated room, the better it will be stored.
Candidate of Agricultural Sciences Sciences
Ivanovich A.A.
The question of the timing of harvesting apples baffles many gardeners. And not because the question is complicated, but because everything seems to be clear anyway. In fact, this is especially true for winter varieties, not everyone succeeds in picking fruits on time. Firstly, few people know by what signs the maturity of apples is determined. Secondly, the time of harvesting by day and by month is also a mystery to some. What don't many people know?
How to determine the maturity of apples
First, information for the uninitiated. Determining when to store apples makes sense only for summer and autumn varieties. This is because early and mid-early varieties can be eaten immediately, late ones only after some time. The latter, even harvested on time, are still green, they need time to ripen. The ripeness of the first two can be determined with an accuracy of several days. By what signs?
Character 1. The color of fully ripened fruits will never be green, unless this is due to selection features. autumn apples the color can still be somewhat greenish, summer - never, they are either yellow, or red, or almost white, or several colors at once.
Sign 2. Brown or dark brown seeds.
Sign 3. The fruits break off with a slight effort, it is not necessary to pull them so that the branch bends.
Sign 4. A carrion appeared on the ground of the color corresponding to the variety, good quality, that is, not rotten and not damaged by diseases.
Sign 5. If you press and release the apple, but the dent remains, the fruit is ripe. If it disappeared immediately, the fruit is still green, the skin is torn - overripe.
In addition to external signs, it is possible to determine a ripe fruit or not in a “laboratory” way in your kitchen. An apple is cut in half, dipped in a solution of water (1 liter) and potassium iodide with iodine (1 gram each) for a minute or two. If the flesh has turned bluish throughout its thickness, harvest early. If the blue appeared only near the skin - it's time. More on harvest time.
When to pick apples depending on the variety
This does not mean the varietal name itself, for example, Antonovka or White filling, but the seasonality of the fruit: summer apple, autumn or winter. In this regard, the questions of when to harvest apples in general and when to harvest apples for storage are two different mutually exclusive questions.
summer varieties no one pledges for storage, because even in the most favorable conditions summer harvest apples lie for a maximum of a month, and then, if you're lucky. They are harvested in late July - early August only for consumption in the near future. The most popular of early varieties, This:
- "White filling"
- "Paper"
- "Candy"
- "Anis"
- "Grushovka Moscow"
- "Red Early"
- "Melba"
Autumn varieties are removed from the tree towards the end of summer. They are more "universal", suitable for food and for bookmarking for not very long-term storage, up to approximately 3 months. With a long content, the dense pulp becomes loose, it is more suitable for mashed potatoes. At the beginning of autumn, you can already taste apples:
- "Streifling"
- "Autumn Joy"
- "Champion"
- "Glory to the winners"
- Macintosh
- "Zhigulevskoe"
- "Orlovskoye striped"
Winter varieties for laying in storage are ideal varieties, and the question of when to pick apples for the winter is more than relevant. In this category external signs maturity do not "work". For laying in a cellar or other place, apples are removed approximately in the first half of October, but before the onset of a significant cooling and before the appearance of carrion under the trees. Of the winter varieties are well stored:
- "Antonovka"
- "Winter Lungwort"
- "Orlik"
- "Jonathan"
- Simirenko
- "Welsey"
- "Antey"
- "Aport"
In addition, winter varieties of apples are divided into 2 categories: those that are harvested a little earlier and those that are removed last. Last but not least, Minskoye, Boyken, Zaslavskoye, Belorussky Senap and Idared are removed. With regard to harvesting fruits for storage, it should be remembered that even if it is clear by day when to pick apples for the winter, one should not forget about the weather. Autumn harvesting is carried out only in dry weather. In the summer it is possible and some time after the rain.
But these are all “correct” rules. For winter varieties, they are immutable. For autumn, they are desirable, if you have experience, they can be adjusted. For summer, this is more of a recommendation, because at the beginning of the season, when something just appears in the gardens, most people taste the ripeness of the fruit. And what is the best thing, everyone decides for himself.
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Gardeners experience satisfaction and joy when contemplating the grown crop. How much work was invested to achieve the result. Experiences due to natural disasters are in the past. Here they are apples: yellow, green, red, striped. Household members have already enjoyed the fruits of the new harvest. But how to keep apples until spring?
In the harvest year, housewives solve a difficult task: how to preserve a rich harvest of ripe fragrant fruits with minimal losses? Already made and. Picking autumn and winter apples is on the way. To keep fruits fresh and fragrant, certain rules must be followed.
What you need to consider to save the harvest
Step number 1: choose the right variety
The time during which the fruit remains unspoiled, or keeping quality, is determined by the variety.
Summer apples rot quickly and are not suitable for saving in winter. Autumn retain freshness 2-3 months. Usually gardeners pay attention to winter varieties stored until spring.
Top 5 most popular winter varieties of apples in Russia:
- Antonovka. This is not even a variety, but a variety type that includes several varieties. Described in 1848. Inhabitants middle lane appreciate Antonovka for its amazing aroma, taste, ease of care. True, the fruits are stored only 2-3 months.
- Bogatyr. Ripens in September. The crop is harvested when the apple reaches full removable maturity. The fruit is well stored for 6 months, acquires an excellent taste for the New Year.
- Star. apple tree gives good harvests small (weighing up to 85 g), but very tasty sweet and sour fruits that are successfully stored until March.
- Renet Simirenko. The variety is perfect for the southern regions of the Russian Federation. Very high yield. Record holder in fruit keeping quality. Juicy apples with a spicy aroma and wine-sweet taste are stored until June.
- Northern Sinap. Apples ripen in October, hang on branches after leaf fall. Stored 6-7 months. Their skin becomes oily over time, which is a varietal feature, and not a sign of spoilage.
In addition to these varieties for most regions of Russia, we can also recommend:
- Pepin saffron;
- Renet Chernenko;
- Sinap Orlovsky;
- Welsey;
- Veteran.
Suitable for southern latitudes:
- Delicious;
- Memory of Michurin;
- Idared;
- Migints;
- Rossoshanskoe striped;
- Jonathan;
- Golden Delicious;
- Amazing;
- Korea.
For Siberia:
- Krasnoyarsk sweet;
- Cherished;
- Phoenix Altai;
- Zhivinka;
- Girlfriend;
- Lada;
- A swan song.
These winter varieties have stood the test of time. The fruits are stored until at least February, and some (Idared, Jonathan, Golden Delicious, Amazing, Korea) - until May.
Step #2: Pick apples off the tree the right way
Storing apples in winter directly depends on compliance with the harvesting technology. There are subtleties here:
- choose to collect good weather: without rain and wind;
- do not squeeze or scratch the fruits so as not to damage the peel;
- the stalk is important for an apple, so take the fruit in the palm of your hand and twist it along with the tail;
- wear cloth gloves, this will protect the matte film on the skin from damage;
- handle fruits carefully so that dents do not form;
- release the lower branches from the fruits first, gradually moving towards the top.
To pick apples from tall trees, various devices are used.
Do you know that…
For harvesting, apples must reach removable maturity. Each variety has its own: initial, medium or complete. Certainly, ripeness can only be determined by the color of the seeds. The darker the color, the riper the fruit.
Step number 3: divide by grades and sizes
Here is the harvest of apples. But do not rush to remove it for long-term storage. Keep the removed fruits in a cool place for 2-3 weeks so that they prove themselves. After that, do the following:
- for storage, select only intact fruits;
- sort, put each variety in a separate box;
- divide the fruits by size and place in different containers;
- Leave apples with tails, so they last longer.
Do you know that…
Fruits should not be washed before storing for long-term storage, this leads to damage to the natural wax layer and rapid deterioration.
How to pack apples
The question of when to pick apples for storage has already been clarified. The fruits are sorted. Now let's decide how to lay the grown crop. Each gardener finds for himself an acceptable way of laying.
The easy way
In this case, the fruits are not shifted by anything.
- Lay the apples in a container in several layers with the stalk up.
- If the stem is too long, shorten it. So it will not damage neighboring fruits.
- Check the condition of the fruit often, because one rotten apple can infect the rest.
This method is simple but inefficient. To maximize shelf life, apples should be packed or layered.
Packaging paper
Shows good results a method in which each apple is wrapped in paper and laid with its tail up. Use:
- newspaper;
- napkins;
- paper towels.
Sprinkling and overlaying
You can try storing apples for the winter by the method in which the crop is laid in layers in cardboard boxes and covered with improvised means:
- dried leaves;
- onion peel;
- sawdust;
- wood shavings;
- buckwheat shelling waste;
- husk.
It is important that the fruits of the container do not touch, and the material to be poured is dry, otherwise rot cannot be avoided.
Plastic bags
This method is suitable for those who have a lot of hooks for hanging:
- Fill the bags with selected fruits of 2-3 kg.
- Tie tightly.
- Make small holes (4-5) for ventilation.
- Suspended on hooks in storage.
cling film
Need to prepare cardboard box and cling film
- Line the box with cling film crosswise so that the edges hang down.
- Arrange the fruits in a checkerboard pattern and on the barrel so that they do not touch and are not injured from the stalk.
- Top with the free ends of the film.
- Lay no more than 3 layers.
Do you know that…
Experienced gardeners advise using high-quality hay or straw for layering apples.
Better keeping quality
To preserve apples at home during the winter, summer residents use folk remedies. To prolong the keeping quality of fruits, you need:
- dip each apple in an alcohol solution of propolis;
- lubricate with glycerin, vaseline oil;
- apply paraffin or wax coating.
Apply also 5% salicylic acid, calcium chloride 2% saturation.
Tip of the day
During storage, apples can be affected by rot of fungal origin, so periodically sort out the fruits and remove spoiled specimens.
Harvest storage conditions
To save the harvest, it is very important to observe the storage conditions for apples:
- Keep the room temperature between -1°C and +1°C. But temperatures up to +4 ° C are not yet critical.
- Humidity from 90% to 95% is considered comfortable for the fruit. Increasing this parameter will cause the fruit to rot, while decreasing it will cause the fruit to wilt.
- It is important to ventilate the room, because the concentration of ethylene accelerates the ripening of fruits. And this leads to premature deterioration.
Storage room
Winter apples are best stored in the winter in the cellar or basement. It is here that the necessary temperature and humidity conditions are created.
For storage of apples in the cellar, it is prepared in advance. You need to do the following:
- whitewash the walls with a solution of lime or copper sulfate;
- Treat floors with 1% copper sulphate.
Store fruits:
- in wooden, plastic boxes;
- in strong cardboard boxes;
- in baskets made of wicker or synthetic material;
- on the shelves.
Wash and disinfect containers and structures so that mold does not form.
To keep fruits as long as possible, use any of the above methods of stacking in a container.
Drawers should not come into contact with each other, nor with the floor, nor with the wall, so as not to impede air circulation
Tip of the day
Place stickers on the container with information about the packing date and grade. This way you will know which fruits to eat first and which ones to save for later.
Preservation of the crop in the ground
Not every gardener has a cellar, basement. They approach the question of how to store apples at home from the other side - if there is no room, the land is used:
- On suburban area a long ditch is dug, half a meter deep. The bottom is covered spruce branches for rodent protection.
- Apples are packed in plastic bags, which are tightly tied with a rope, leaving a long end.
- The packages are placed in the pit so that there is a space of 20 cm between them.
- The ditch is covered with earth, and the ends of the ropes remain outside. Sticks or dry branches are tied to the ropes and stuck into the ground.
- From above, the pit is insulated with dry leaves.
In winter, the packages are pulled out by pulling the rope.
We answer the question: Why do apples turn black inside during storage?
The enzymatic system is responsible for the longevity of the cellular tissue of the fruit. Enzymes gradually lose their activity and cease to maintain cell stability. For some varieties, the process is faster, for others, it is slower. The cells die, the organoleptic properties of the product change. When you cut open an apple, you can see that it is dark inside. Moreover, not only the color changes, but also the smell, and consistency, and taste.
Now apples are treated with special stabilizer substances that slow down enzymatic processes, but such a product is very dangerous.
Storage of apples in the apartment
For city dwellers in autumn period the question arises of how to store apples in winter. No need to despair, without a cellar, you can also make a supply of fruit and save them with minimal losses.
Apples are stored in the apartment:
- in a cool pantry;
- on glazed balcony, loggias;
- in a refrigerator;
- in the freezer.
On the balcony and loggia
If the dimensions of the balcony or loggia allow, a thermal box is installed. It is made by hand. You will need 2 boxes made of durable cardboard or plywood and insulation in the form of foam, old warm clothes, construction foam, sawdust.
- Choose the size of the boxes so that there is a gap of 15 cm between their walls.
- Place the styrofoam at the bottom of the large box. Place a smaller fruit box on it.
- Fill the empty space between the boxes with insulation. Cover the top of the box with styrofoam.
Thermal box for storing vegetables and fruits on the balcony
Now you need to monitor the air temperature outside the window: in frosty weather, additionally cover the top of the thermal box with something warm, it gets warmer - remove all unnecessary.
How to store apples on the balcony if there is no space for a box, racks:
- Place the fruits in polyethylene bags half full.
- Tie the bags tightly and make holes for ventilation.
- Lead up to the ceiling.
This method is good if the balcony does not freeze in severe frosts.
In the pantry, corridor, on the windowsill
For this:
- Use smaller packages.
- Fill them with 1.5-2 kg, tie.
- Make holes for gas exchange.
Store packages in the room on the windowsill, leaving the window open, or in the hallway, in the pantry.
In a refrigerator
- At the bottom of the refrigerator are containers for vegetables and fruits, fill them with fruits without prior packaging.
- Part of the fruit plastic bags place on higher shelves.
In the freezer
Keeping apples in the refrigerator is not always convenient. There is not enough space, but I want to prepare more vegetables and fruits. An alternative would be a spacious freezer.
Freeze fruit as follows:
- entirely- remove the core and tail, use for baking with, in;
- slices- with or without peel, for strudel, charlotte, pies, compotes, use without defrosting;
- in the form of puree- a great filling for pies.
The time spent preparing frozen apple products in the autumn will pay off with benefits for the whole family.
Frozen apples retain up to 90% useful substances and do not lose taste
We answer the question: how to store peeled apples?
Peeled and cut fruits are practically not stored, as they quickly oxidize and darken. If you can’t immediately put them into cooking, you can delay the oxidation for 30 minutes by sprinkling the pieces with lemon juice or dropping them into a solution. citric acid(1 tsp per 1 liter of water).
Knowing how to store apples for the winter, choose the best and convenient option. The information received will allow you to improve your skills and enjoy the result of your work.
Store properly and be healthy!
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If you do not know when to remove winter apples for storage, our blog will help you with this. Few beginner gardeners know inside and out the signs of readiness of winter apples, which would indicate that the crop is ripe and can be harvested and stored for storage.
The apple is the most popular fruit among fruits. A rich apple harvest, harvested before winter, will please any gardener. In parallel with this, many people are wondering how to properly store winter varieties of apples until spring? How to keep them fresh and what varieties are best suited for this, what are the options for laying winter apples today and how to correctly determine their ripeness, read in this article.
Important! For long-term storage, late varieties of autumn or winter apples are best suited. If you properly organize their storage, the fruits can remain fresh and sweet until April.
The procedure for removing apples from a tree
Important! Putting apples taken from the tree in a basket and later shifting them already on permanent place storage, it is impossible to pour the fruits in any case, do it manually the way they were removed from the trees. This procedure is necessary in order not to beat the apples and not damage their peel. It is also worth noting that the wax coating on the apples does not need to be removed, because it will keep your fruits for longer, preventing it from becoming moldy and rotten.
In the process of re-transferring apples to winter storage We recommend a second inspection of the fruits. Undamaged fruits, clean and dry, will lie much longer than beaten fruits and damaged by diseases and pests. When using a special tool (fruit picker) for removing apples from trees, be extremely careful with it, since this tool, although intended for removing fruits from trees, can still damage the delicate skin of an apple. On our site you can also find varieties of winter apples with a photo with a name and detailed instructions for their cultivation.
A place to store winter varieties of apples
If you have a big Vacation home, then, as a rule, winter varieties of apples can be stored in basements and cellars. It is worth noting that the room where the fruits will be stored must be dry, free of odors and mold, and at least somehow ventilated.
It is best if apples are stored in places where there are no vegetables, potatoes for the winter and various pickles. most optimal temperature in a room for long-term storage, it is considered from 0 to 2 degrees.
If you have a large storage room, then apples can be stacked on shelves, in drawers or special racks. Apples in this case must be stacked in rows in one layer. When laying some kind of cushioning material, the fruits do not require, the only thing you can do is separate them from each other, for example, using tabs made of cardboard. If possible, you can wrap each fruit in special paper.
Factors affecting the shelf life of fruits
- Autumn types of apples are removed from trees when their skin begins to acquire a color characteristic of the variety, or when the seeds turn dark brown (usually this occurs at the end of September, beginning of October). If the fruits are removed from the tree very early or vice versa late, then they will be stored worse and become more mealy.
- Winter types of apples are usually removed in late October, mid-November. Just the time of harvesting coincides with their maturity. During this period of time, late varieties will still be tough and tasteless (not edible). After the storage time, the fruits will “reach” and their full ripening will come, it is at this moment that the apples will acquire their characteristic taste for the variety. One of the signs of the onset of the removal of fruits of late varieties is considered - when in the morning under a tree you find from 4 to 6 apples on the ground, without any damage - pest diseases.
