Many of us like to consume such a tasty and healthy fruit as apples, and we all know well that they come in two varieties - summer and winter. The latter are already distinguished by their appearance: they have a thick and rough skin, as well as a slightly pronounced wax coating. And if you try to ensure proper storage of apples at home, you can enjoy their wonderful taste all winter. It is only necessary to observe certain rules for their collection, transportation and storage.
And, very importantly, it is necessary to do everything correctly at each stage. After all, coming to the market in February, we always wonder how sellers managed to preserve all this beauty for so long. Let's try to figure it out.
First, the backlog of such an event as the storage of apples at home, is their collection. In no case should you shake off fruits from a tree, pick them from the ground, so in a few weeks they will already begin to rot and will not lie for a long time. This can only be done if you plan to eat a certain amount of apples within a month. In our version, it is recommended to use stepladders, ladders, and other devices that allow you to remove the fruit carefully, without the slightest damage. It is advisable to wear cotton gloves on your hands to ensure the integrity of the skin of the fetus. Put them in plastic buckets or special baskets, after lining them from the inside with burlap or a soft cloth.
Secondly, the next important step, which should ensure the storage of apples for the winter, is the sorting of fruits already harvested. You need to carefully inspect each
of them, and set aside any, at least slightly damaged, worms or disease. This should be taken seriously, as a part of your harvest may be lost due to a couple of skipped poor-quality fruits. It is possible to provide apples at home using only “healthy” fruits.
At the third stage - sorting by size. It is advisable to divide the fruits into three sizes: large, medium and small. The existing experience suggests that medium and best of all are stored longer and longer - large, as they are most susceptible to various diseases.
The next, fourth, step is the selection of containers for our favorite fruits. It should be clean, durable, made from moisture resistant cardboard or soft wood. There should not be large gaps in the box between the boards. To ensure the longest possible storage of apples in winter, it is best to isolate each fruit separately from the other. To this end, you can sprinkle them with sand, shavings of soft wood, husk or husk buckwheat. And you can wrap every fruit in
paper or remodel with straw. At the same time, they can be superimposed both in rows and diagonally. Also, to increase the duration of storage, it is recommended to dip the apples in a solution of propolis infused with alcohol, or in a two percent solution of calcium chloride.
The final stage, designed to ensure the storage of apples at home, is the choice of a place to place fruits packed in boxes. It can be a balcony, a cellar or other well-ventilated and cool room. Everyone’s favorite refrigerator will not suit us. Humidity in the storage location should be around 80%, and the temperature should be about two degrees Celsius. Also, as confirmed by practice, apples can be well stored in the ground, having previously packed one kilogram in plastic bags. Further - bury to a depth of approximately 25 cm. From above, it is necessary to create a warm blanket - from grass and branches.
In the case when all the instructions are carefully followed, it will be possible almost all winter, and sometimes part of spring, to enjoy the great taste of apples from their trees.