Apples for today, tomorrow and later

September 26, 2005 (Updated December, 2007)
Carol Ann Burtness
Regional Extension Educator, Food Science
888-241-0720
Email: burtn002@umn.edu

Between August and mid-October, apples are at their peak. Store apples in a cool, dark place. They'll remain crisp and juicy longer if refrigerated. Keep them in the refrigerator humidifier compartment, or in plastic bags with small air holes to keep a high moisture level.

How you preserve them depends on the variety. Check out "Apples for Minnesota and their Culinary Use" (FO-01111) available from your local Extension office or online here for variety information.

Apples darken quickly when they are exposed to air. You can keep them fresh-looking for cooking or preserving by sprinkling commercially prepared ascorbic acid products on apples, or mixing with a canning. Dipping apples in a solution of three tablespoons of bottled lemon juice mixed with one quart of water is another option, but not as effective as the commercial ascorbic acid products.

When canning slices, sauce and sweet spreads, use high quality apples without signs of decay. Don't can "windfall apples" (fruit that has blown off the tree) because they are likely to contain mold spores that can result in spoilage. Choose apples that are juicy, crispy and preferably both sweet and tart. For safety and best quality, hot-pack all home-canned apple products and process in a boiling water bath for the specified times. NOTE: open-kettle canning of any product is NOT safe!

If the top surface of home-canned applesauce turns brown, it's probably due to oxygen reacting with the sauce and turning brown. This usually happens because the sauce was not processed for the proper length of time. Processing kills spoilage organisms and drives out all the air, which contains oxygen. To prevent browning, always process for the recommended time: boiling-water canner--20 minutes for pints or 25 minutes for quarts; dial-gauge pressure canner (6 pounds)--10 minutes for pints and quarts; weighted-gauge pressure canner (10 pounds)--10 minutes for pints and quarts.

When freezing, begin with apples that are crisp and firm (not mealy), in texture. Varieties that are good for pie and sauce are good choices for freezing. Frozen apples keep better texture and flavor if they are packed in sugar or sugar syrup. However, you can freeze unsweetened apple slices if you are going to cook or bake them in pies or cobblers. Freeze slices on a cookie sheet and when they are frozen solid, remove the slices and pack in freezer containers.

Dried apple rings, wedges or chips are an excellent treat. The best apple varieties for drying are firm-textured and tart. For best dried-apple quality, use apples soon after harvest.

Properly stored or preserved, apples will remain flavorful for months and months!

(Carol Ann Burtness is a food science educator with the University of Minnesota Extension Regional Center, Brainerd)