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    Home » Helpful Guides

    Best Storage Apples - How to Store Apples Long-Term

    Published: Jan 24, 2022 · Modified: Nov 9, 2022 by Kristen Wood - This post may contain affiliate links.

    Best Storage Apples - How to Store Apples Long-Term

    If you love apples and want to eat them all year round, you may wonder how to store apples long- term to keep them fresh. Here's a list of excellent storage apples well-suited to long-term storage over the winter months, as well as tips for storing. Enjoy!

    Best Storage Apples - How to Store Apples Long-Term

    Long-term food storage is one of my favorite subjects. It is something I draw great inspiration from my maternal grandparents (and many ancestors) about, as they were avid gardeners and food preservationists in a ripe, fertile valley in the Appalachians. They made the most of everything they grew! Apples are rather fascinating as there are SO many varieties, all beautiful in their own right. They are also surprisingly hardy and well-suited for long-term storage given the right conditions. So, let's dive right into it now, shall we?

    Jump to:
    • What are storage apples?
    • How do you store apples long term during the winter?
    • Best Storage Apples
    • Fuji
    • Granny Smith
    • Gala
    • Braeburn
    • Crispin (Mutsu)
    • Red Delicious
    • Goldrush
    • Rome Beauty
    • Northern Spy
    • Golden Delicious
    • Melrose
    • Honeycrisp
    • McIntosh
    • Cox's Orange Pippin
    • Best Apple Storage Products
    • Apple Recipes
    •  
    • 💬 Comments

    What are storage apples?

    Storage apples are simply firm, hardy apples well-suited for long-term storage, especially during the winter months.

    How do you store apples long term during the winter?

    Have a harvest of apples and wondering how to store them during the winter months? Long-term storage can preserve both nutrients and taste so you don't have to wait for the next growing season to come along. to Storing apples can be a tough task since they have a high oxidation rate, but wholly possible give the right care and attention. You should keep each individual apple covered with a terry cloth, newspaper or old t-shirt to absorb moisture and then store them in a cool, high humidity environment (away from direct sunlight). 32 degrees Fahrenheit is the ideal temperature. Any cooler and they will get freeze damage; any warmer and they will spoil and encourage the ripening process too soon. A cool basement, root cellar or garage usually does the trick. If these are not an option, the next best choice would be the crisper drawer of the refrigerator. It depends on the variety of apple, but some most will keep in the fridge for at least up to one month and sometimes up to one year.

    a close up of fresh mottled apples in a wooden crate.

    Best Storage Apples

    Fuji

    Fuji apples are large, round, crisp apples with a rather refreshingly sweet flavor. They are wonderful for cooking, baking and eating. They can last up to one year with proper storage.

    Granny Smith

    Granny Smith apples are popular bright green apples more commonly known for their use in baked goods. By themselves they are rather tart, but add a little sugar and the flavors balance out nicely. They can last up to a year in storage.

    Gala

    Gala apples are sweet apples with beautiful red hues. They make a great snacking apple and will keep up to 6 months with proper storage.

    Braeburn

    Braeburn apples are large, firm apples with both sweet and tart flavor notes. They are pretty popular in the apple world! This variety of apple is excellent for baking with. They can last up to one year with proper storage and are readily found in most conventional grocery stores.

    Crispin (Mutsu)

    Crispin apples, also known as Mutsu apples in Japan, are a cross of Golden Delicious and Indo apple varieties. They make a great snacking or baking apple. They are bright green, juicy apples that will keep for about 6 months with proper storage.

    a moody photography of red apples in a wood box.

    Red Delicious

    While Red Delicious apples are certainly one of the most popular and highly produced cultivars of apples, they are not very flavorful (in my opinion). They are very hardy, red apples (go figure!) with a firm texture and are better suited to be using in baked goods where they can take on little of the sweetness from added ingredients. They will last at least one year in storage.

    Goldrush

    Goldrush apples (also known as Gold Rush apples) are very sweet apples with pale green-yellow flesh sometimes with blush of red. They make an excellent apple juice! Gold rush apples will keep about 1 year with proper storage.

    Rome Beauty

    The Rome Beauty apple, also simply known as Rome apple, is a rich red apple great for snacking and cooking with. It will last up to 6 months in storage.

    Northern Spy

    Northern Spy apples are firm, crisp, tangy apples with primarily green skins with mottled red throughout. They are great apples to bake with, especially desserts. They are an exceptionally hardy apple well-suited for winter storage, lasting at least one year under the right conditions.

    bright green apples in a wooden box.

    Golden Delicious

    Golden Delicious apples are large yellowish-green apples that despite their name, are not actually closely related to Red Delicious. They are wonderfully sweet and make a great addition to salads. They will keep about 9 months with proper storage.

    Melrose

    Melrose apples are large, firm red apples with hints of green. They are both mildly tart and sweet and are excellent in sweet baking recipes. They will keep for about 6 months when properly stored.

    Honeycrisp

    Honeycrisp apples are beautiful red apples with a blush of yellowish-green here and there. They are wonderfully sweet and crisp and excellent for snacking. They will keep up to 9 months with proper storage.

    McIntosh

    McIntosh apples are small red and green apples with tart flesh. They are great in baked goods, as well as snacking. They store well for up to 6 months.

    bright red apples up close.

    Cox's Orange Pippin

    Cox's Orange Pippin apples, also simply known as Cox apples, are British medium-sized orange-red apples that are highly juicy and excellent for both snacking and cooking.

    Best Apple Storage Products

    While you can use simple boxes with newspaper, the following products can come in handy when it comes to ease of storage and organization and are some of my favorites to have on hand.

    Wooden Nesting Produce Bins

    Rolling Fruit Storage Rack

    Wooden Three-Tier Fruit Rack

    Apple Recipes

    Apple and Pear Chutney

    Air Fryer Apple Chips

    Buckwheat Flour Apple Muffins

    Strawberry Apple Polenta Crisp

     

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. veenaazmanov says

      February 08, 2022 at 1:56 pm

      Thanks and very informative. Never imagined apples of so may varieties

      Reply
    2. Mirlene says

      February 08, 2022 at 12:55 pm

      Great tip to storing apples. I usually have a big bag and sometimes goes rotten. Never knew how long apples could last for a long time.

      Reply
    3. Vicky says

      February 08, 2022 at 12:53 pm

      This is such a thorough post. I love all varieties of apples but they go bad quicker than I can eat them. These tips will be a big help in enjoying my apples longer.

      Reply
    4. Casey says

      February 08, 2022 at 12:39 pm

      I had NO idea you could store apples this long! Such useful info!!

      Reply
    5. Tavo says

      February 08, 2022 at 12:26 pm

      Very informative post! It came right on time as I have a bunch of apples and didn't know what to do with them. Thank you very much!

      Reply
    6. Katherine says

      February 04, 2022 at 6:09 am

      We have to huge apple trees, so I'm bookmarking this post for next autumn so I can make the most of them!

      Reply
    7. Claudia Lamascolo says

      February 04, 2022 at 5:01 am

      Great info my apples in the fridge always get rotten and shrivel going to try this now

      Reply
    8. Jacqueline Meldrum says

      February 04, 2022 at 2:35 am

      That was an interesting read and I can't believe how long they will last if stored properly!

      Reply
    9. Dannii says

      February 04, 2022 at 12:56 am

      Lots of great tips here and a good way to make sure that nothing goes to waste.

      Reply
    10. Helen says

      January 25, 2022 at 4:12 am

      Great post! We have an apple tree in the garden and I always end up cooking and freezing the surplus apples. Great to have some options for long-term storage!

      Reply
    11. Dannii says

      January 25, 2022 at 2:44 am

      Lots of great tips here for reducing food waste.

      Reply
    12. Amanda Wren-Grimwood says

      January 25, 2022 at 1:23 am

      We had a huge apple tree in France but I didn't have much luck storing the apples. This is such a great guide.

      Reply
    13. Anjali says

      January 25, 2022 at 12:47 am

      This was such a helpful guide to storing apples! We always go apple picking at our local farm and then have tons of apples I never know what to do with! I'll be following your guide to make sure I can store apples to use for months! 🙂

      Reply
    14. Ieva says

      January 25, 2022 at 12:43 am

      Awesome post, just what I needed before the next apple season! My father-in-law always gives us buckets and buckets of granny smith and we try to eat as much as we can, then resort to making jams and preserves. Great to know I can store them and enjoy them fresh for longer!

      Reply

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    kristen wood

    About Kristen Wood

    Hi, I'm Kristen! A mama, food writer, photographer, recipe developer, and cookbook author. I enjoy sharing both wildly creative and ridiculously practical gluten-free vegetarian recipes that are approachable for all. Welcome!

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