storing apples
How can we store our apple harvest?
Good apple storage needs cool temperatures and high humidity. A blanket of carbon dioxide also holds back decay.
High humidity is needed to prevent the fruit from becomming wizzened and losing its moisture into the air.
In the days of our glorious naval past, each ship sailed with barrels of apples. Good storers were needed and barrels presumably had tight fitting lids.
Iron age farmers have been found to use the preserving power of a blanket of carbon dioxide by digging pits to store their corn. As the corn respired, it converted available oxygen into CO2 that sat heavily across the corn, preserving it.
We have found a supply of used polystyrene boxes with lids and so have placed our Red Falstaff apples into one of these boxes in the cool garage.I hope that this modern storage method replicates the succeses of the past. Red Falstaff is an abundant cropper and stored last year until early spring.
In the days of our glorious naval past, each ship sailed with barrels of apples. Good storers were needed and barrels presumably had tight fitting lids.
Iron age farmers have been found to use the preserving power of a blanket of carbon dioxide by digging pits to store their corn. As the corn respired, it converted available oxygen into CO2 that sat heavily across the corn, preserving it.
We have found a supply of used polystyrene boxes with lids and so have placed our Red Falstaff apples into one of these boxes in the cool garage.I hope that this modern storage method replicates the succeses of the past. Red Falstaff is an abundant cropper and stored last year until early spring.
This is what they looked like today - we'll watch how they keep.
3 comments:
Rob,
I'm so envious that you have your own apples to store. We've been enjoying our local NC apples, which are great.
Your explanation of the CO2 producing corn providing a preservation blanket is fascinating. Who knew?
Lisa
Over here we have a TV series that's broadcast on our Channel 4 called 'Time Team'. They do a speedy excavation and they were excavating an iron age farm. They explored the pits they found that contained grain and asked why would you bury grain? The modern way is to keep it as dry as possible. Their experiments showed that the grain was stored effectively due to the CO2 that was produced and that could not escape. Rob
I've found that Macoun apples keep really well wrapped in newspaper (like Christmas ornaments!) and kept at around 38 degrees. Mine lasted into February without too much spoilage. They weren't especially good for eating fresh at this point, but they made terrific pies and applesauce!
Kristina Strain
http://www.growandmake.com/guide-to-sustainable-yard-garden
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