Harvest & storing

Picking and storing apples

Cup it, give it a gentle twist, and if it comes away, it’s yours. Then the clever bit: making it last.

Is it ripe?

A ripe apple comes away easily when you give it a slight twist. RHS: How to grow apples

When sound-looking apples start falling off the tree (windfalls), the crop is usually ready to pick. RHS: Harvesting fruit

Ripening times vary from year to year with the local weather. RHS: Harvesting fruit

Early apples don’t keep: eat them within a few days of picking. RHS: How to grow apples ‘Discovery’ is an early apple for August and September, and it can’t be stored. RHS: Choosing apple cultivars

Mid-season apples keep for about 4–8 weeks. RHS: Storing fruit

Late apples often aren’t ready to eat until they’ve been stored for 4–5 weeks, and then keep for several months. RHS: Storing fruit

Late-summer apples store badly; some late-autumn apples can be kept for up to a year in cold stores. Britannica: Apple

Store only unblemished apples, in slatted crates or trays, not touching, somewhere cool, frost-free, airy and dark. RHS: How to grow apples

The ideal store is 4–7°C (39–46°F). Apples can’t take temperatures below 2.8°C (37°F). RHS: Storing fruit

Keep stored fruit away from strong smells such as paint, fertilisers and onions, which can taint it. RHS: Storing fruit

When one tray is perfectly ripe, take it out of the store: the gases it gives off can speed up ripening in the rest. RHS: Storing fruit

Good keepers include ‘Jonagold’, ‘Winston’ and ‘Lane’s Prince Albert’. RHS: Storing fruit

In a fridge, keep 2–3kg of apples in a plastic bag with a few holes in it. RHS: Storing fruit

Cooking apples can also be frozen. RHS: How to grow apples

Many cooking apples become sweeter in storage. RHS: Choosing apple cultivars

Wasps make holes in fruit bigger, and can sting if you disturb them while picking. RHS: Harvesting fruit