When to pick apples for storage - we learn by external signs and descriptions of varieties. When to harvest apples

In fact, figuring out how to store Antonovka is quite difficult, since this variety of apples does not have good keeping quality. When they are grown commercially, special chemicals are usually used to better protect these fruits from premature spoilage. In addition, in this case, the technology for collecting apples and storing them is strictly observed.

With the right approach, the fruits can be stored almost until the end of winter, even at home. However, in this case there are a number of subtleties that must be taken into account. How long apples are stored depends largely on how they were picked and packaged, as well as on temperature regime and humidity in the room where they will be located. Without taking into account all these features, it will be extremely difficult to ensure that the fruits do not rot.

Collection of antonovka and its packaging for storage

Almost all varieties of apples have a special wax coating on the surface. It protects the fruits not only from pathogenic bacteria and many types of pests, but also from atmospheric phenomena. This is very important point to which you should refer Special attention. In order for Antonovka to be stored at home for as long as possible, it is necessary to collect the fruits even before they are overripe and at the same time very carefully so as not to damage the existing wax cover.

Collection technique

It is best to start picking fruit from the lower tiers of the tree. You should not take them with your hands. It is best to unscrew the apples while keeping the stalk. It is necessary to collect fruits only when there is no precipitation. It is necessary to start work in the middle of the day, when the existing dew is completely dry. Apples that are picked wet do not lie for a long time. Putting fruits on the ground during their collection is also not worth it, since in the future they will most likely begin to rot.

Sorting

All fruits that have defects or were crushed during harvest should be put aside immediately, as they are not suitable for storage. Next, the entire harvest of Antonovka must be sorted by size. It is known that large fruits emit more ethylene, which contributes to the faster maturation of small ones. To avoid this, apples different size must be sorted into separate containers.

What to store

To store apples, you need to prepare cardboard or wooden boxes and, if necessary, make many holes in them, and they should also be disinfected and dried in advance. It should be borne in mind that after picking apples, it is recommended to put them in storage for 12-24 hours. The bottom of the container intended for storing antonovka must be carefully covered with paper. The fruits are stacked down with their stalks to avoid damage.

Some growers wrap each fruit with soft paper towels before storage, or sprinkle with sawdust from hardwoods after they're in boxes. This really helps to avoid damage to the fruits when storing and in some cases improves the keeping quality of the fruits, since they do not touch each other. However, the effect of this method is not too significant, so it is quite possible to do without it.

At the same time, it should be borne in mind that if the fruits are wrapped in soft paper or covered with sawdust, it is quite possible to use the space remaining in the box to form the next layer. This saves a lot of space if only deep containers are available. It is impossible to stack 1 layer of apples directly on another, as this will significantly reduce their shelf life and cause rapid fruit rotting.

chemical method

Some modern gardeners use chemical methods to increase the shelf life of antonovka. For this purpose, it is often used

• alcohol solution of propolis;
• Vaseline oil;
• wax;
• glycerin, etc.

Fruits are carefully rubbed with these substances before they are stored. This method has its drawbacks. This treatment removes the natural waxy coating and increases the risk of damage to the apples. In addition, rubbing the fruit with various chemicals can cause deterioration of their taste and useful qualities.

Immediately before taking the boxes with apples to the room where they will be stored, you need to place the container in separate transparent plastic bags. They need to be tied. This will prevent moisture loss and oxygen ingress. In most cases, this method allows you to keep the crop longer. At the same time, it must be taken into account if a fungus is present on the fruit, high humidity may lead to an increase in its population.

Creating conditions for storing antonovka at home

This variety of apples usually does not lie longer than 3 months, but when created optimal conditions it can be slightly extended.

The optimum temperature for storing antonovka ranges from +2 to 0°C. Relative humidity in the room should be about 90-95%.

It is very important that such conditions are maintained in the cellar throughout the entire period of storage of apples. This will avoid gradual wilting of the fruit. You should not lay these fruits next to vegetables, as the latter can be a source of fungal infection. If possible, you need to periodically inspect the fruits and remove those that are affected by rot or mold. This will keep the rest longer.

How long Antonovka is stored depends not only on how carefully the preparation for its laying was carried out, but also on the conditions in which it will be located. When harvesting apples of this variety for the winter, it must be borne in mind that large specimens should be eaten first. Such fruits never dry up.

Due to the excess moisture content, large apples, spoiling, begin to rot, which contributes to the defeat of other fruits. Relatively small fruits can be stored for 4-5 months when creating optimal conditions for them at home.

Gardening experience. Video

An apple is a fruit of an apple tree, which is eaten fresh, serves as a raw material in cooking and for making drinks. Apple tree is a genus of deciduous trees and shrubs of the Rosaceae family with spherical sweet or sweet-sour fruits. In addition to the delicious taste, apples have very useful and healing (healing) properties. Apples are the most common fruit in our country and it is very pleasant that apples are extremely useful and necessary for our health.

Useful and medicinal properties apples are explained by their healing composition. Apples contain vitamins C, B1, B2, P, E, carotene, potassium, iron, manganese, calcium, pectins, sugars, organic acids. In the fruits different varieties apple contains in%: Sugars 5-15, fiber 0.6, starch 0.8, pectin 0.27, organic acids 0.3-0.89 (malic 0.37, citric 0.11, tartaric and chlorogenic acids ). Apples are very rich in vitamins, in%: vitamin C - 8-22.4 vitamin P - 60-400, vitamin B1 - 0.8-2.3, vitamin B2 - 0.05, vitamin B6 0.08, carotene 0 .02-0.03. The composition of green apple varieties still contains Bis 0.07; E 0.63 mg% and biotin 0.30 µg%. Also contains apples a large number of trace elements: potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, sulfur, aluminum, boron, vanadium, iron, iodine, copper, molybdenum, nickel, fluorine, chromium and zinc. The peel of apple fruits contains flavonoids. The composition of the fruit contains 84-90% water. Apple seeds contain up to 15% fatty oil, amygdalin glycoside up to 0.6%. The leaves contain vitamin C 450 mg% and amygdalin glycoside. This is the most common fruit crop in our gardens. Collection winter varieties apples is a labor-intensive process that requires compliance with the terms of picking, preparation of containers and premises for storing fruits. Inexperienced gardeners overexpose the fruits on the tree, which is why the apple tree is depleted and does not tolerate wintering well. Harvesting in time is half the battle, in order to preserve its taste for a long time, it is necessary to competently prepare for storage.

How to determine the right time to pick late apples from a tree

Start picking apples autumn varieties possible in September-October. The main thing is to be in time before the onset of frost, but not later than a month before the onset of stable frosts.

If you start harvesting late, you can harm the tree. Namely:

• the frequency of fruiting increases;
• reduces the frost resistance of trees;
• the ability of vigorous growth in the spring is reduced.

At the time of harvest, apples should be sour and firm. This will extend their shelf life. Depending on the variety, apples will reach consumer maturity after 2-3 months.

Autumn varieties of apples should not be allowed to ripen. Such fruits are worse stored. harvested prematurely will not reach the correct taste and color, and will also begin to wrinkle.

Removable maturity of apples is determined by several indicators:

• fruit age - you need to know how much time has passed since the beginning of flowering, take into account the air temperature during this period;
• apple size;
• the main and integumentary color of fruits;
• seed color;
• fruit pulp density;
• starch content.

Only a specialist can determine the harvest time according to these criteria. It will be enough for an amateur gardener to take into account such features:

• a larger number of fruits acquired a color characteristic of a particular variety;
• fruits are well separated from the stalks;
• seeds of apples of winter varieties have acquired a brown color;
• apples are sour and hard.

If in calm windless weather under a tree there is a small number of fruits without visible damage and diseases - this is also a signal to start harvesting.

Timely harvesting of apples of winter varieties is the key to proper fruit ripening, in which the pulp becomes loose, the taste improves, the aroma intensifies and the color characteristic of the variety appears.

How to pick apples

• Manual way

With all the development of technology in horticulture is still the most The best way harvesting - manual.

Apples must be picked carefully, carefully stacking them in boxes to avoid mechanical damage to the fruit.

• Via various devices

Today, the market offers many devices for picking apples even from the highest branches: a loop, a basket (or bag) with a long handle.

Many gardeners stretch a fruit picking net to keep the apples from falling and not coming into contact with the soil. In early summer, the same mesh can serve as a good covering material.

Articles for gardeners

Sorting apples for the winter

When considering how to store apples for the winter, one of key points is the stage of their sorting. What does it mean? After harvesting, you need to sort out the fruits, separating the beaten and spoiled by pests. Remember that only whole apples are suitable for storage.

How to process apples before storage for the winter

Processing with special compounds will help protect apples from all kinds of rot and fungi:

• fruits can be rubbed soft cloth soaked in glycerin;
• collected apples can be dipped in a 4% solution of calcium chloride for 1 minute, then dried thoroughly;
• each apple can be sprayed with a pink solution of potassium permanganate.

Apples processed in any of these ways will keep much better. However, remember: before eating such apples, they will need to be thoroughly washed with soap and water.

Container for storing apples

Surely many are interested in the question: “What to store fruits in?” Boxes made of moisture-resistant cardboard or soft wood. Make sure they are stable and free of dirt particles. Also, they should not have large gaps.

Where to store apples for the winter

Apples are usually stored in cellars or cellars, and it is advisable to place fruits and vegetables in separate rooms. The optimum storage temperature for apples in winter is 0-2 ºC, and air humidity is in the range of 85-95%. The room must have good ventilation.

Storage of apples in dense plastic bags with a capacity of up to 3 kg also has a considerable advantage: the fruits do not absorb foreign odors, so they can be stored even indoors with potatoes and other vegetables. Put the apples in bags and, without tying them, take them to the basement. Let them stand and cool for a day or two, and only then tie the bags tightly and place them on the shelf. For ventilation in bags, several punctures are made with a regular needle.

During storage, apples should be reviewed every two weeks in order to identify diseased fruits in order to prevent the spread of rot throughout the store. If you need to bring a box of apples into the house, first hold it for a while in a room with an intermediate temperature of 10 ºC, and only then bring it into a heated dwelling. Large and small fruits ripen faster than others during storage, so they should be eaten first.

If you do not have a cellar or basement, you can store apples right on the site in the ground. Dig a hole or trench 65 cm deep and up to half a meter wide, throw juniper shoots or spruce paws on its bottom, then lower the apples folded into plastic bags into the hole. The bags should be new, not previously used, tightly tied, but with small holes for the release of ethylene released by apples - just a few punctures with a needle. The fruits laid in the trench are covered with earth, and on top they are covered with lutrasil or roofing material, which will protect the apples from both frost and moisture. To prevent the coating from being torn off by the wind, press it with a stone.

In large rooms, fruits are stored on special racks, shelves or in drawers. At the same time, apples are laid in one layer, in rows. In principle, they do not require cushioning material. You can separate all the fruits from each other with cardboard tabs or wrap each fruit separately in paper.

Of course, our cellars are still very far from industrial chambers with computer-controlled humidity and temperature. But if you follow our recommendations, your apples will lie much longer than usual.

Gardener 24

The joy of the gardener about the huge harvest of apples is replaced by many questions that arise. How to collect and store fruits containing a large amount of vitamins until spring? What varieties have long term storage? How to store apples?

Apple variety

The variety always affects the ability to store the crop for a long time without violating the taste properties, preserving vitamins and minerals. nutrients. Winter varieties have excellent keeping quality, it is very important to start harvesting them in October after the first frost.

• Aurora- the variety of apples is resistant to temperature extremes and fungal diseases. The fruits of this variety are often large in size with a slight reddening of the skin, very juicy and fragrant. Apples can be stored even in a conventional refrigerator.
• Jonathan- a winter variety of apples, the fruits of which have small size tastes like sweet wine. Observing certain conditions, apples can be stored until the beginning of May.
• Golden Delicious - Snow Calvil- bred by Ukrainian breeders, with proper storage does not lose nutritional value until April.
• Renet Simirinko- the most popular winter variety. Apples are large with a strongly pronounced aroma and sour taste. The value of this variety of apples lies in the preservation of the fruit until next summer.

Harvest of apples

Before harvesting, it is necessary to determine the ripeness of the fruit. To do this, you should examine the carrion, and if among it there are already apples with varietal characteristics, then all the fruits are ripe. Winter varieties should be harvested on a dry and clear day. The fruits should be carefully separated from the branch, while the stalk should not be torn off from the apple. For storing apples winter period it is very important to preserve their natural wax coating on the fruits.

apple storage

Before storing apples for storage, it is necessary to sort them. Apples are sorted, spoiled and overripe fruits are rejected. Also, the fruits are sorted by size - large, medium and small. Then you can lay the crop in the basement using a suitable method.

Simple styling. Apples are stacked in boxes with their stalks up in several layers. The boxes are placed in the cellar, but with this method you will have to check the fruits very often for rot.

Paper wrap. Each apple must be wrapped in paper or a napkin, and placed in a prepared container. With this method, the apples do not touch each other, so the spread of rot does not occur.

Oversleeping consists in separating the fruits from each other with layers of sand mixed with ash. Sand with ash is poured onto the bottom of the container, the layer thickness should be 4 cm. Then the apples are laid out with the stalks up, which are also covered with sand. In a regular box, you can put 4-5 layers of apples.

Antonovka is one of the most popular varieties of apple trees, which many summer residents like to plant on their site. Those who love to feast on the most useful product prefer Antonovka, because this tree does not require special care, but at the same time annually gives good harvest. But in order to keep the fruits for the whole winter, you need to know when it is better to pick Antonovka apples and how to pick them correctly?

When to pick Antonovka apples?

In order to correctly determine the time of harvesting apples, you need to be able to distinguish between consumer and removable maturity. Consumer will be determined by the full maturity of the fruit, when the apple has become as soft and fragrant as possible. These apples can be canned immediately after picking. The fruits of the apple tree reach this maturity by mid-autumn.

Removable maturity is when the fruit is not yet fully ripe. Such fruits taste hard, they have not yet filled the right amount sugar, but they contain a lot of acids. But at this time, the apple trees are already ready for collection and transportation. Such apples will be perfectly stored all winter, you need to start picking them from the end of September. The fact that apples can already be picked will tell them appearance: if you look closely, you can see yellow spots on their peel.

Do not wait for the moment when the apple turns completely yellow. This can only tell that the apple is fully ripe and will not be stored for long. collected for long storage apples ripen in a container. But, in no case should you pluck green apples, they have not yet been enriched with vitamins and minerals, and when plucked, they will no longer be able to become as useful as possible. It is worth remembering that Antonovka apples never crumble, which means that you can wait for full maturity without loss.

How to collect Antonovka apples so that they can be stored longer?

Before you start collecting Antonovka apples, which are planned to be stored in the future, you need to prepare the appropriate container - boxes or baskets, completely dry. The bottom of the container must be covered with a film or cloth. Many summer residents prefer to store apples in straw, and as practice has shown, their shelf life is significantly increased. The room where the crop will be stored should also be prepared: remove dust, dirt and treat with a disinfectant solution. The fruits will last the longest in a cool and dry room.

You need to pick apples Antonovka in morning time, after all the dew has disappeared, but the sun has not yet come out and heated the fruits. It should be dry outside so that the fruits are not wet when they fall into the container. You need to pick the fruits carefully, without damaging them. If during the collection the apples themselves fell, then they should be put in a separate container and eaten in the very first place. That's all the subtleties of collecting Antonovka, if you follow the rules of collection, then the harvest will delight with its aromas all winter.

A rich harvest of apples will please any gardener. But at the same time with joy, the question arises: how can all this wealth be kept fresh until spring? Which varieties are best stored, how to determine their degree of maturity, what are the ways of laying apples - read about all this in our article.

Every gardener knows that growing a crop is only half the battle, you still need to be able to and save it. Experienced gardeners the wisdom of "apple longevity" has been mastered for a long time, they have been empirically developed to the maximum effective ways stacking apples for storage, allowing them to preserve their benefits, aroma and freshness.

Choice the right varieties, harvesting according to all the rules, correct sorting, stacking, optimum temperature and humidity are the main components of long-term storage.

Choosing the right varieties

Will apples be stored for a long time without deterioration palatability depends on their variety. Varieties have such a thing as keeping quality, that is, the ability to retain nutritional and nutritional properties for a certain, long enough period of time.

It is the late (winter) varieties of apples that are harvested from mid-October that are characterized by excellent keeping quality. Today, the most famous and popular are the following winter varieties:

1. Aurora- a variety resistant to low temperatures and fungal diseases. The fruits are large, round in shape with a blurred wide blush, they are distinguished by a pronounced aroma and juiciness. Harvest begins in early October. This variety is perfectly stored until spring, even in the refrigerator.
2. Jonathan- one of the most famous winter varieties. The fruits are small, have a pleasant aroma and a wine-sweet taste, do not lose their color under optimal storage conditions. nutritional qualities until mid-May.
3. Golden Delicious — american variety, fruits of medium size, golden color, juicy, valued for their excellent taste and aroma. Apples of this variety ripen by the end of September, well stored until mid-April.
4. snowy calvil- Ukrainian variety of folk selection. The fruits are medium in size, greenish-white. Perfectly stored in the basement, without losing taste and aroma until mid-April.
5. Renet Simirenko- the most common late variety of Russian breeding. The fruits are large, rounded, have a pronounced aroma and sweet and sour taste. Apples of this variety favorable conditions can be stored until the summer.
6. King David- American late variety, characterized by high yield. Medium-sized fruits have a flat-rounded shape, a dark red blush covers almost their entire surface. This variety of apples has a spicy aroma, juiciness and excellent taste.

It is very difficult to describe all the variety of varieties within the framework of one article. For more information, you can find out by consulting with experts involved in growing apples in your area.

How to properly harvest

You should carefully prepare for picking apples: pick up a tool, clean the container and storage, plan the order of work. In this case, it is very important to determine whether the apples are ripe - unripe and overripe ones will not lie.

Determining maturity

You can determine that it is time to remove apples from a branch visually, by scavenging. If tasty large apples with characteristic varietal characteristics have already appeared among the fallen fruits, then the rest are ready for picking.

You can also determine ideal maturity by the following features:

• press on the apple, if the dent has disappeared - the crop is not yet ripe;
• if the peel burst when pressed, the apples are considered overripe, they are not suitable for storage;
• an unflattening, sagging skin speaks of ideal full maturity.

You can define maturity “scientifically”, in a special way. by chemical means. To do this, 4 grams of potassium iodide and 1 gram of iodine are dissolved in a liter of distilled water. The apple is cut in half and dipped into the solution. Maturity in this case is defined as follows:

• if after two minutes the edges and the middle of the apple turned blue, it means there is a lot of starch in it, which indicates immaturity;
• if it is blue at the edges, and yellow in the middle - perfect maturity;
• the presence of only yellow color- the apple is overripe.

Experienced gardeners believe that it is better for apples to be unripe than to overripe and begin to rot.

Correctly picking apples from trees

For the harvest winter apples choose a warm, clear, dry day. It is better to do this after dinner, when the air warms up enough, and the fruits are perfectly dry.

The fruits are picked very carefully so as not to damage. The apple is taken with all fingers, with the forefinger pressing on the stalk where it is attached to the fruit branch, and the fruit is slightly lifted up. Do not unscrew, break off or pull the apple down. In fruits destined for long-term storage, in no case do you need to tear off the stalk, this significantly reduces the keeping quality of the crop.

When harvesting winter apples, do not wipe off the matte film from them, the so-called natural wax coating. Picked apples should not be thrown, they must be carefully folded into a container prepared in advance.

Sorting apples

Immediately after harvesting, it should be kept in a cool room for 15-20 days, after which it should be sorted - during this time all signs of possible defects will appear. After that, it is necessary to sort out the apples, selecting for storage fruits with stalks without wormholes and mechanical damage.

Apples different varieties it is recommended to store them in different containers, you should also sort them by size - small, medium and large. After that, the crop is stored for storage using one or more of the following methods.

Store apples

For apples, it is better to allocate a separate pantry or cellar. The fact is that during storage, these fruits emit a lot of ethylene - a gas that contributes to the speedy ripening of other vegetables. The increased content of ethylene in the cellar leads to the fact that root crops (potatoes, carrots, beets, celery) germinate strongly and deteriorate faster. Therefore, it is strongly not recommended to store apples with these vegetables.

Before laying apples, the room should be well cleaned and disinfected. The walls are whitened with a solution of freshly slaked lime and blue vitriol in proportion: 10 liters of water, 150 g of vitriol, 1.5 kg of lime. Floors are sprayed with mortar iron sulphate(450-500 g) per 10 liters of water.

Late apples, depending on the variety and temperature and humidity indicators, can retain their nutritional value for 4-7 months. Ideal conditions for storage in this case are considered: air temperature from 0 to + 3 ... 4 degrees, relative humidity at the level of 85-90%. If the humidity is lower, the apples wilt quickly.

For winter storage any container is suitable, the main requirements for which are cleanliness and strength. It can be wicker baskets, wooden, cardboard or plastic crates which must be thoroughly cleaned before use.

You can store apples in the winter in various ways.

Easy styling

Apples are laid with their stalks up in one, two or three layers, while not shifting anything. In this way, many apples can be laid, however, this method is considered the most “short-lived”, bookmarks should be checked regularly to prevent possible pockets of decay from spreading.

Wrapping in paper

Each individual apple is wrapped in paper napkins or plain white paper and placed in a prepared container with the stalks up. If all the fruits are healthy, then in this way apples can be stored for a long time.

Overlaying (overlapping)

The best way to winter storage. best material in this case, there will be well-washed and dried sand with the addition of ash in a ratio of 1:10. Sand with ash is poured onto the bottom of the prepared container with a layer of 3-4 centimeters, then the apples are laid out so that they do not touch each other. Backfilled with sand. Thus, 3-4 layers can be laid.

Instead of sand with ash, other materials can be used: sawdust, leaves or shavings of trees (not coniferous), onion peel, sunflower husk, peat or moss.

storage in the ground

If on personal plot there is no cellar, you can save the harvest of apples in the ground. To do this, they dig a trench 50-60 cm deep and 30-40 cm wide in advance. The bottom of the trench is covered with coniferous spruce branches or juniper branches - this will protect the bookmark from rodents. Apples are packed in plastic bags of 4-5 kg ​​each and placed on the bottom, then covered with earth on top. For protection against severe frosts dry leaves can be sprinkled on top.

Treatment with carbon dioxide or ultraviolet light

The harvest of apples is wonderfully stored in the cellar in plastic bags, into which carbon dioxide is injected through a small hole with the help of a siphon for carbonating water. The hole is then quickly sealed.

Some summer residents treat apples laid in one layer with a bactericidal ultraviolet lamp within 30-40 minutes. The lamp is suspended at a distance of 1.5 meters, the apples are turned over once for uniform processing. This method allows you to destroy most of the harmful fungi and bacteria that cause the development of rot.

By laying the harvest of apples in storage, you can enjoy the fragrant useful fruit and be sure that your body will not suffer from chemicals that are often present in fruits sold in winter in supermarkets.