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Apple Harvest
In order to obtain the most delicious apples, you must harvest at the proper stage of maturity for the fruit. The harvest period for apples depends on each variety. For example the harvest season for Red Delicious apples is normally late September to early October. However, the harvest period for any variety of apples is influenced strongly by the weather conditions during the growing season. Early spring will make the harvest time come a little earlier than normal. Therefore, you should base your harvest on the maturity of the apple. This can be done with checking by hand to see if they are ready to be harvested. The best way to hand check is to get hold of the apple and cup it into your hand; if it comes off the limb with a gentle pull, then it is most likely mature. If it is hard to pull off it is mostly likely not ready for harvesting yet.
There are many indicators of apple maturity. Mature apples are firm, crisp, well colored, and have developed the certain taste or flavor of their individual variety. I have a Red Delicious apple tree in my yard, and the apples turn red very early in growth. Therefore you can not really go by color too much. This variety is known for turning red before the apple is mature. If apples are harvested too early, they can be sour, starchy, and have no real flavor. Apples harvested too late can be soft and mushy. To prevent unnecessary damage from bruising, pick and handle the fruit carefully. Sort through the apples while picking and remove any bruised or cut apples, or any apples with insect and disease spots.
With proper storing techniques, apples can be stored up to 3 to 5 months. The best storage conditions for apples are a temperature of 32 degrees and a relative humidity between 90 & 95 percent. Apple varieties such as mine--the Red Delicious--if stored in a temperature of 50 degrees, will spoil faster than at the lower temperature. They will also dehydrate and shrivel if stored in a low humidity location. The way I store mine is to peel them, cut them into pieces, put them put into freezer bags, and store the bags in the freezer. The apples can be used in many ways with this storage technique. I can get a bag out of the freezer and make fried apples for breakfast or an apple pie for dessert. You can also use apples stored in this way in many other recipes. It can be very satisfying to grow your own apples and use them during the winter to make a delicious apple pie for Thanksgiving or any other dinner. Having apples in the freezer year around can be a great way to save money on desserts for meals, or any time that you have a craving for an apple cobbler.
Mae
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