How to Keep Apples Fresh

Follow these tips on how to keep apples fresh to get your money’s worth and avoid food waste.

Do you love apples but have a hard time keeping them fresh? Do you buy a bag and find that before you can eat them, they have gone bad? Then take a look at these helpful tips for How to Keep Apples Fresh. By keeping just a few things in mind, you can keep your apples fresh and really get your money’s worth. Here is what you need to know.

How to Keep Apples Fresh

1. Don’t refrigerate apples.
While it might seem natural to refrigerate your apples, they will actually store better if you leave them out at room temperature. Cold temperatures can damage the apples and cause them to ripen and rot quicker, so instead keep them in a cool, dry place such as a countertop bowl.

2. Don’t mix apples with bananas.
The gases that bananas release when they ripening can speed up the decomposition of your apples. Don’t store apples and bananas together. While they might look nice arranged in a fruit bowl together, it will only shorten their shelf life. Instead, keep them separated.

3. Keep your apples out in sight.
Many times people buy fruit, store it away, and forget about it. Keep apples in a bowl right on your kitchen table or by the coffee machine where you will see them and enjoy them. Encourage children to help themselves to apples when hungry, as they are a healthy yet filling snack! Try to find apple recipes that interest you so you can put the apples to good use as soon as you bring them home.

4. Don’t forget about lemon juice.
Lemon juice has been used to keep apples fresh for years. When you cut open an apple, spray the exposed skin with lemon juice or brush some of the juice on. This will keep apples that aren’t being served right away looking fresh and bright. It will also slow down the decaying that happens once air starts to hit the apple.

5. Make smart purchases.
When buying apples, avoid any that have bruising, cuts, exposed inner skin, missing stems, spots, or other signs of damage. Even the smallest cut or scrape can let germs and air into the inside skin which speeds up the decomposition of the apple.

6. Keep stems intact.
The stem will hold some nutrients for the apple, so be sure to buy apples with stems on them and keep stems intact when you store your apples. The longer it stays on, the longer the apple has a chance to feed off the nutrients in it.

If you love to buy apples but are tired of racing to eat them in time, give some of these tips on how to keep apples fresh a try. They are sure to make a difference in the life of your apple and help you get a little more bang for your buck.