Should Apples Be Kept in the Refrigerator?

Photo by Matheus Cenalifrom PexelsThere are various sorts of apples to pick from at the grocery store or farmers' market, whether you like Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Fuji, Red Delicious, or heritage varietals. Whatever your preference, the perfect apple will be crisp, juicy, sweet, and maybe a bit sour, depending on the type. But how long will it remain like way when you get it home? We spoke with two experts to find out how to keep apples fresh for as long as possible, including if refrigerating them is the best method to preserve apples.

Ken Wortz, head distiller at Sauvage Distillery in Charlottesville, New York, which just produced Upstate Vodka made solely from New York State apples, and chef Laura Scheck, founder of Teaching Table, urge home chefs to cook more, buy less, and waste nothing via tailored instruction and hands-on culinary workshops, are our apple experts.

How to Store Apples Properly

Apples, like other pome fruits such as pears and quince, should be stored in a cool, dry, shady location, according to Wortz. Scheck continues, "the optimal location to keep apples will depend on your particular climatic circumstances (such as how warm or humid it is in your house), how long you want to preserve the apples, and where and how you store other veggies." Apples, for example, may stay up to ten months in a low-temperature root cellar.

Refrigerator vs. Countertop

Wortz and Scheck agree that the crisper drawer of your refrigerator is an excellent spot to keep apples if you want to extend their shelf life. "They may be preserved in the refrigerator for six to eight weeks," explains Wortz. Scheck adds that if your room temperature is on the warm side, the refrigerator is good for keeping apples even for shorter periods of time. Even if you don't refrigerate them, they may still survive one to two weeks on the counter.

Keep Them Apart From Other Fruits

"Apples emit the gaseous hormone ethylene, which causes other fruits and vegetables to mature quicker, particularly if the apples themselves are injured or overripe," adds Scheck. "If you don't want to stimulate ripening of other fruit, put apples in a plastic tub or bag in the fridge, or in their own produce drawer." If they're on the counter, she recommends storing them in their own dish, apart from other fruits, or in a paper bag.

One Bad Apple...

"Be cautious to remove flaws or eat apples with bruises and blemishes promptly, since they can encourage the other apples to decay," Scheck advises. "If you are keeping multiple apples together, it is important to continuously monitoring them since one poor apple can also harm the rest," says Wortz.

How Long Do Apples Last?

"Store-bought apples have already been kept and have spent time in transit," explains Wortz. "They may be stored in cold storage for months after being plucked. However, once purchased, they will survive one week out of the refrigerator and six to eight weeks in the refrigerator."

Scheck recommends putting apples in the fridge as soon as they are chopped. To avoid browning, "wrap them firmly in plastic or beeswax wrap and eat within a few days," she advises. "Or put some lemon juice on them."

Preventing Food Waste

"Use your blemished or damaged apples right immediately (removing and discarding the bruised sections, of course)," advises Scheck. "If you can't consume the apples right away, convert them into applesauce or compote to use later as a pie or turnover filling, or juice them and preserve the juice for another day. Just utilize them!"