Apples

STORING FRESH APPLES

Apples keep best in your refrigerator, preferably in the crisper drawer or in an unsealed plastic bag. Refrigerate apples separately from vegetables because apples naturally release small amounts of ethylene gas that can be damaging to lettuce and other produce. Apples can be held in an open container on a table for a few days before eating, if desired, but more time at room temperature will lead to shriveling and a loss of flavor and crispness.

Small brown pits sometimes develop on the skin of apples in storage, and the underlying apple tissue is also brown. This is a common disorder of apples, called bitter pit, caused by a deficiency of calcium within the fruit as it develops on the tree. It is particularly common in large apples. These apples can be eaten without worry, but you may want to cut away the affected tissue prior to eating.

SAFETY TIPS FOR HANDLING FRESH APPLES

General Sanitation

Contaminated produce and unpasteurized apple juice or cider have been known to cause foodborne illness. Like any other fresh fruit or vegetable, apples can be contaminated by bacteria from soil, water, and animal sources, or from lack of sanitation during preparation or processing. Contamination from human sources may occur during or after harvest, right up to the point of eating. Contamination at home may also occur when poorly washed utensils or cutting boards (especially those used to handle raw meats) are used to prepare fresh fruits or vegetables. For this reason, it is important that you wash your hands with soap and water before and after preparing produce, and use clean equipment, utensils, and cutting surfaces.

Washing Apples

Apples should be washed just before eating or preserving. To wash, rub each apple under running water or use a clean scrub brush, and then dry it with a clean paper towel.

Washing the fruit in a sink filled with water is not recommended since the standing water can spread contamination from one apple to another. The use of soap or detergent is not recommended or approved for washing fruits and vegetables because the produce can absorb detergent residues. The stem area and blossom end of apples are the most difficult to clean. To avoid these areas you can cut around the core rather than through it or you can use an apple coring device.

Cut Apples

Cut or sliced apples should be covered and refrigerated if they are not eaten within 2 hours of preparation; this reduces browning and maintains quality and safety.

Select full-flavored apples that are crisp and firm, not mealy in texture. You will need about 6 medium apples (about 2 pounds) to make a quart of slices.

To reduce browning, work with only enough fruit to fill one quart or two pint containers at one time, and use ascorbic acid as described with each type of pack. A syrup pack is recommended for apples intended for uncooked desserts or fruit cocktail. A sugar pack or unsweetened dry packs are good for apples to be used in pie making. Wash the fruit as described in the section “Washing Apples”. Peel and core the fruit. For apple slices, slice medium apples into twelfths or large apples into sixteenths. For applesauce, follow the instructions in the “Applesauce” recipe.

Containers for freezing

Rigid plastic containers and glass freezing and canning jars make good freezer containers. The glass in these jars has been tempered to withstand heat and cold. Glass jars not designed for freezing can easily break in the freezer. Flexible plastic freezer bags also work well. Ordinary waxed papers or paper cartons from ice cream or milk do not work well because they do not keep air or moisture from moving in or out of the container.