Apples are one of ancient cultures grown by humans. Depending on the timing of the ripening of the fruits, they are divided into three main groups: summer, autumn and winter. Medium (autumn) varieties provide positive influence on health and the general condition of the person.
They have a diuretic and choleretic effect, due to their low calorie content, they are used in dietary nutrition... Regular consumption of fruits with a high fiber content improves digestion and relieves constipation. Apples are rich in iron, potassium, glucose and sucrose, pectin.
Autumn varieties are an intermediate option between summer and winter. They almost have time to reach consumer maturity on the tree. Full ripening occurs 10-12 days after harvest. These fruits have the average size, bright color, pleasant dessert taste.
The storage periods vary slightly, they depend on the conditions created. Average indicators - 2-4 months
The most common
- Strafling or autumn striped- one of the most common varieties. Deserved popularity for high taste qualities fruits. The fruits are medium or large, the skin is thin, smooth, with a waxy coating. Coloring in the form of red stripes on a speckled background. The pulp is yellowish, juicy, sweet and sour. Ripens in September, lies until December.
- Orlovskoe striped- fruits are large, oblong, green color with blurred crimson stripes. The pulp is white, aromatic, with sourness. You need to shoot in September, store in the refrigerator for up to four months.
- Cinnamon striped- apples are medium to small, green or yellow when picked. Red streaks appear gradually. It is appreciated for its delicate pulp, pleasant taste and aroma. Lies up to two months.
Collection time
It is necessary to start harvesting on time, being late threatens overripening, and haste - a lack of rich taste. Autumn varieties traditionally ripen at the end of August - September. There is no strict harvesting schedule, the harvest time is adjusted depending on weather conditions season.
When is it necessary to remove all the fruits from the bush? One way to determine when apples are picked is to track the falling fruit. If there are good whole fruits on the ground, it's time to harvest.
Knowing the signs of ripening will help to pinpoint the moment of picking apples.:
The degree of ripening is determined empirically using a solution of iodine that reacts with starch:
- when half of the apple is immersed, the cut turns blue - the fruit is unripe;
- the middle of the cut is yellow, and the edge is blue - the optimal moment;
- the apple is yellow - it is overripe.
Gardeners believe that it is better to start harvesting autumn varieties a little ahead of time than to miss the moment.
How to remove from a tree: instructions
Picking apples requires accuracy and knowledge of the specifics of actions.... The fruit is taken with the palm of your hand, clasping with all fingers. Carefully lifting and scrolling, it is plucked from the branch along with the stalk. You cannot pull the apple down, this will injure the branch and reduce the yield of the next year.
From the hands, the fruit is not thrown into a collection container (basket, bucket, box), but placed. Any shock and mechanical damage will negatively affect the shelf life.
The fruit has a natural protective layer in the form of a waxy coating. When it is erased, the surface of the apples becomes more vulnerable. The wax prevents the appearance of rot.
The work of picking apples takes place in a specific sequence.:
The harvested crop must be cooled, and then transport or send for storage.
How to remove fruits for storage: which ones are left?
When they start picking autumn apples from trees, two containers are prepared in advance: one for good and strong fruits, the other for wormy and rotten ones (including those picked up from the ground). The withered fruits can be eaten immediately, and the whole ones can be removed for storage for the winter.
The crop must be sorted before storing it in crates. Sizing into Small, Medium and Large will help distribute the fruit evenly in the rows. Apples are examined and only those that meet the criteria for long-term storage are left:
- have a peduncle;
- no damage to the cover, wormholes, dents;
- wax coating in place.
Several varieties can be grown in the garden, their storage time is different, so they are separated when sorting.
Boxes with apples should be signed, indicating the variety and the time of the bookmark. You don't have to waste time looking for the right fruit.
For long-term storage, it is necessary to slow down the processes in the fruits. This is facilitated by the low temperature. It is best to store apples in the refrigerator or basement. The room must be dry, clean and free of foreign odors.
It is recommended to whitewash the basement with lime and vitriol. The optimum temperature for autumn varieties is 1-4 ° C. It is better to stack apples in one layer using racks or low wooden boxes stacked on top of each other.
Small fruits quickly lose their juiciness, and large ones are susceptible to disease, they spoil in the first place.
For preservation, the fruits are wrapped in paper. This is a justified method, but time consuming. With a large amount of harvest, it is difficult to carry out wrapping. Fruits can be sprinkled with dry clean sawdust, onion peel sometimes use sand.
At home, apples are stored in the closet, on the balcony, in the cellar or in the refrigerator. Autumn varieties do not last more than three months under any conditions. They stock up until spring winter varieties.
Shrub care for the winter
Having finished picking apples, gardeners do not have to relax. It is necessary to prepare trees for wintering. Agrotechnical measures will help the tree survive low temperatures and give a bountiful harvest for next year. What is autumn care:
If you follow all the necessary steps, the apple tree will easily endure the winter.
Autumn apples do not last until spring, these tasty and healthy fruits are eaten first. Collected on time and placed in good conditions fruits, stored until January... It is a constant source of pectin, trace elements and other health benefits.
Apples are recognized as one of the healthiest foods for human health. It would be great if we could use them not only in late summer and autumn, but throughout the entire calendar year. Healthy products acquire particular importance during vitamin deficiency in winter and spring. But in order to preserve the fruit for such a long period, certain requirements must be observed.
When to store apples?
For the safety of apples in fresh many factors affect:
- ripening weather;
- age of fruit trees;
- grade;
- growing conditions;
- harvest time;
- storage conditions.
It is very important to choose the right apple varieties, and not to rely on the fact that any apple will be able to survive well. Subject to the rules, the fruits retain their quality characteristics from three to nine months. Antonovka ordinary, Melba, Autumn striped, Welsey, Chosen One, Penin, Mayak, Crimean Aurora, Orange, Bogatyr, Olympic have proven themselves well in this.
One of the most important requirements is choosing the optimal harvest time. Apples harvested on time are not only fully formed, but also more resistant to diseases and can be stored long time... The readiness for collection is determined visually.
Harvesting maturity is determined by the distinct color characteristic of each variety and the achievement of the maximum fruit size. During this period, the skin of the fruit and the pulp become less dense, the aroma and taste are enhanced. The apples are removed from the branches without any difficulty. The first fallen apples are a signal that the harvest is fully ripe.
Collect, starting from the lower branches, gradually moving to the upper ones. It is necessary to remove fruits in stable dry weather. At the same time, they do not remove the stalk, do not erase the natural wax coating. The plucked fruits are not thrown away, but carefully laid out in a container prepared for this. The removed apples cannot be kept in the open sun, they are placed in a cool place.
Falling apples are already overripe, they are unsuitable for long-term storage. They should be eaten fresh as soon as possible, or dried or subjected to any preservation method.
Location and conditions
For the preservation of fruit at home, cold storage rooms, cellars, attics or basements are used.
The room in which you plan to store the fruit should be prepared. It is important that the room is perfectly clean: it is recommended to disinfect and whitewash the walls in the cellar or basement. Shelves, boxes, containers, pallets must be thoroughly washed and dried before placing fruits in them. There should be no extraneous odors in the storage, as apples absorb foreign odors. Up to the point that the storage of apples and pears should ideally be isolated from each other.
The room is ventilated in advance for several days. According to GOST, there should be optimum temperature in the range from -1 to +4 degrees with a relative humidity of up to 95%. High level moisture in storage facilities prevents intensive evaporation of moisture from fruits.
If there are very few apples, then they can be stored at home in the refrigerator. There they will remain fresh for a long time. The fruits should not be washed before being sent to the refrigerator, this will protect them from the appearance of mold. To protect apples from premature spoilage, healthy fruits should not be stored together with damaged ones. Place the fruit away from other foods so that they do not absorb odors.
It is best to pack them in 1-5 kg in plastic wrap, making sure to make holes in each resulting bag so that the apples can breathe. If necessary, the earliest ripening of unripe apples is placed in a paper bag. One package should contain only one variety of apples and ripening terms.
For farms specializing in cultivation fruit crops, or with large subsidiary farms for storing fruits, it is ideal to use refrigerated containers (refrigerated containers). Such equipment not only maintains the required temperature and humidity conditions. These containers ensure gentle transportation even over very long distances.
Technology and other subtleties
For long-term storage, medium-sized, clean, flawless fruits with saturated color... It should be noted that larger fruits ripen sooner: they can be stored for no more than one to two months. When unfolding in containers, this should be taken into account and the fruits should be packaged, distributing them by size.
In preparation for laying, it is required to carry out processing to prevent the occurrence of rot and mold. For this purpose, aqueous solutions of iodinol or salicylic acid are used, keeping apples in them for some time. Fruit protective film can be made with glycerin. A cloth napkin is impregnated with this product and the apples are wiped with it.
Effective processing of fruits with a composition that includes the following ingredients:
- water (35%);
- crystalline iodine (2.5%);
- potassium iodide (7%);
- starch (53%);
- baking soda (2%)
Apples are immersed in such a composition for one to two minutes and then dried. Such a composition forms the thinnest protective film that completely covers the fetus.
In order for the fruits to be preserved until spring, it is possible to process them and chemicals... The most popular in our time is sodium pyrosulfate, which, thanks to the emitted sulfur dioxide, protects fruits from spoilage.
In winter, it is advisable to keep fruits in medium-sized wooden boxes or cardboard boxes. The gaps between the slats of wooden boxes are desirable to be minimal. It will be right to shift the fruit various materials... For this purpose, dry shavings are used. deciduous trees, oak leaves or dried moss. Modern technologies for this, they offer cling film or a special packaging wrap for products. Fruits with a particularly thin and delicate skin can be wrapped in paper napkins, which are pre-soaked with petroleum jelly.
In no case should you shift the apples with straw, since when the apples begin to deteriorate, it will mold itself and saturate the apples with an unpleasant taste.
It is possible to place apples on shelves or racks in 2 layers. In this case, the layers are overlapped with matting, dry peat crumb, sawdust or wood leaves.
Excavated holes are also used for long-term storage. Their approximate depth is 50 cm. In a harsh cold climate, the pit should be made deeper. Apples are stacked in plastic bags and carefully tied, then laid in a pit. To protect the fruits from rodents, the hole and bags are shifted with spruce paws or juniper branches, after which the hole is buried.
To maintain a clean apple flavor, do not keep apples next to vegetables.
For the first 10-20 days, the storage should be ventilated so that carbon dioxide emitted by the fruit does not accumulate. Apples are periodically reviewed, sorting out spoiled specimens.
Before eating, the apples are brought to a warmer place and the surrounding temperature is slowly raised. It will keep the beautiful appearance apples.
Frequent problems
Most often, the following happens:
- fruits of many varieties of apple trees when long-term storage are exposed to various diseases;
- in case of non-compliance temperature regime and when stored at high temperatures, apples develop bitter pitting;
- high humidity in the storage, too late harvesting can cause metabolic disorders and lead to browning of the pulp;
- with long storage, internal decay occurs, intercellular connections are disrupted, and the apples become sluggish and loose.
One of the common causes of these and other diseases is the lack of calcium in fruits. This can be prevented by pre-processing fruit trees an aqueous solution of calcium chloride.
Before laying for storage, it is possible to process the solution directly and the fruits themselves. To do this, the fruit is immersed in a solution (10 l of water and 400 g of calcium chloride) for 1 minute and dried thoroughly.
Apples all year round in our diet - this is quite possible with the correct implementation of all the proposed recommendations.
For information on how to store apples for the winter, see the video below.
There is no culture more popular with gardeners than apples. It is rare in any garden that these bright and juicy fruits rich in vitamins and minerals. It would seem that harvesting apples is a simple matter. But in order for the fruits to be stored longer, you need to correctly harvest the apples and take into account a number of features. I will tell you about them.
When to harvest
It is customary to divide apple varieties into three groups:
- summer varieties;
- autumn varieties;
- winter varieties.
When it comes time to harvest the apples depends on the variety of apples grown in your area. Moreover, and on your goals. So, the harvest of summer varieties is eaten immediately. Apple picking begins in mid-August, and their keeping quality is low, no more than a month. Autumn varieties are harvested from late August - early September, you can store the crop for up to 4 months. True, by the end of the shelf life, the pulp of the apples becomes loose. Winter varieties are the mildest. They are harvested from the end of September - mid-October; they are unsuitable for food immediately from a branch. The harvest of winter varieties ripens as they are stored, they can be stored until spring.
How to determine the ripeness of apples
These terms are very conditional. The ripeness of apples is influenced by temperature and humidity, tree care, dryness of summer. Therefore, it is necessary to be able to correctly determine the ripeness of apples. I will teach you how to do it. Harvesting early will degrade the taste of apples. If apples are overexposed on the branches, they will taste mealy and the flesh will turn brown. There are several ways to determine the maturity of apples:
- Carrion. If there are large apples among the fallen ones, the harvest is ripe.
- Press down on the apple thumb... If the dent is gone, the apples are not ripe. If the peel has parted under your finger, you are late in harvesting. If the dent does not even out, start harvesting.
- Tasting. The ripe fruit is bright and even in color, without darkening on the skin. The pulp is light, sweet and sour. The bones are dark brown.
- Chemical method. Prepare a solution of water, potassium iodide and iodine. Drop the solution onto the apple cut and watch the reaction for a couple of minutes. Iodine reacts with starch, which is abundant in unripe apples, the amount of starch decreases as it ripens. If the cut turns blue, the fruits are not ripe. A yellow cut indicates that the crop has been overexposed. Blue border with yellow core - start harvesting.
There are specially prepared chemical kits to run a test based on the latter option.
How to harvest
Any gardener knows how to properly harvest apples. For this work will do afternoon. Wait for warm sunny weather, no precipitation. It is important to follow this rule when collecting winter varieties. Start picking apples from the lower branches, gradually going upward. Reach for the apples growing on the upper branches, help special devices for example, a hook for bending branches or a special design for collecting apples, similar to a landing net. On the south side of the tree, apples ripen two to three days faster. Pick the apples carefully together with the stalk, try not to damage the branches of the tree. Remember that only healthy fruits are suitable for storage, without dents, damage and wormholes.
How to store crops
To preserve the apple harvest, prepare wooden crates with ventilation holes... Treat them with a solution of potassium permanganate and dry thoroughly in the sun. Then place blank sheets of paper on the bottom. Place apples in boxes immediately after picking, without leaving them in the sun. The fruits should not be washed in order to leave intact a matte film that protects them from rotting. Leave the boxes in a cool, ventilated area. Maintain temperature up to 5 degrees, keep from freezing. Systematically sort through apples and remove rotten and spoiled specimens.
Hopefully, in this article I have answered all the questions about the fall harvest of apples. A bountiful harvest for you!
The closer autumn is, the more urgent the issue of harvesting becomes. Apples are no exception. When to pick apples for storage and how to determine their maturity are the main questions that concern gardeners, especially beginners. Sorting out this is not so difficult.
How to determine if apples are ready for picking
Everyone has already developed their own more or less proven methods for determining the maturity of apples. Someone tastes them to taste, someone can say about readiness in appearance. However, the most effective is this technique. Ready for harvesting will be those apples that begin to fall off and very beautiful and large specimens appear in this carrion.
If with summer varieties everything is more or less simple, because they mainly go for processing, then when to collect winter apples for storage, it is much more difficult to decide. After all, overripe fruits will not be stored for a long time, and those that are not ripe will not pick up the required amount of sugars.
Signs of apple ripeness
There are some signs of determining maturity, according to which general outline you can understand when to pick apples for storage. If, when pressing on the fruit, the dent disappears, then the apple is not yet ready for picking. But if the skin breaks during this procedure, then the fruit is already ripe. In this case, it is only suitable for processing.
If you press on the fruit, and the skin bends from this, but does not level out back, then the apple is fully ripe. You can safely proceed to Po outward signs you can also determine the readiness of the fruit. It should be of medium size, without any wormholes, and have a bright skin color. The fruit should taste sweet and sour and very juicy. Varieties with individual taste characteristics fall under the exception.
It is better to underexpose the fruit a little, especially when collecting winter apples for storage, than later they will rot from overripe.
Collection of Antonovka for storage
Antonovka is gaining popularity among gardeners again. Every year more and more amateurs plant it on their household plots... However, later the question arises before a person: when to collect Antonovka's apples for storage?
Have of this variety there is a consumer and removable readiness. The first occurs when the fruit has softened, and falls around the end of October. But regarding the removable readiness, we can say that it is ahead of the consumer in terms of almost a month. This period falls at the end of September. The fruits at this time are distinguished by the appearance of a characteristic yellowish color. However, there is no need to wait until the fruit turns yellow completely: this threatens with poor preservation and over-ripeness.
It is best to collect Antonovka in the morning, with the disappearance of dew. For collection, you need to choose dry weather, avoiding dampness on the fruits before placing in the box. The collection starts from the lowest branches and gradually moves upward. Those apples that fall off during picking should not be put in a common storage box: they can be damaged and have a much worse keeping quality.
Collection of Simirenko apples for storage
Apples of the Simirenko variety do not lose popularity from the very moment of their appearance to the present. Moreover, it continues to grow steadily. Despite the abundance of varieties, many gardeners prefer this and want to see it as an honored guest of their site. However, with the appearance of the first harvests, gardeners ask themselves: when to collect for storage?
Simirenko refers to late varieties, bred by one enthusiast on the territory modern Ukraine... Full maturation is observed in them around the middle of autumn. Harvesting can be done in early October by choosing dry and clear weather. When collecting, you need to try to remove the fruits as carefully as possible, without damaging them. The stalk must also remain intact.
Picking Spartan apples
Spartan, like the two varieties described above, belongs to the winter varieties of apples. Their distinctive feature is sweet taste and the characteristic melon and strawberry flavor. Those who decide to start it on their site need to decide when to collect Spartan apples for storage. They belong to those varieties that are most preferable for long-term storage.
Harvesting of fruits begins at the end of September, when they are just beginning to fall to the ground. It is better to collect it on a cool sunny morning, there must certainly be dry weather. In no case should moisture penetrate the apples, which can significantly reduce the shelf life.
Storing apples
Once you've decided when to pick apples for storage, you need to know where and how best to store them. The crop should be laid in wooden boxes, hay or straw should be placed on the bottom. If not, then paper is fine. Interlayers of straw or paper are also made between the layers of apples. You can use other material, but remember that it must "breathe".
There is no need to overexpose the harvested crop in the sun or outdoors, it must be put into storage immediately. You can store your crops in the basement, but it will be better if the room is cool, dry and well ventilated.
If there is excessive moisture in the room, then you can put containers with lime around the boxes with apples, which will absorb excess moisture. Such very uncomplicated methods can significantly extend the shelf life of your harvested apples.
It also happens the other way around: the air in the room is very dry. In this case, small containers with sand can be placed around the box with apples and periodically moistened with water. The temperature should fluctuate between +2 ... + 5 degrees. In no case should freezing be allowed, because the entire harvested crop will freeze and become unusable.
It is believed that apples should be placed in boxes one at a time. However, it is permissible to pour winter varieties from a bucket. It is recommended to do this very carefully, in no case allowing damage to the fruits and their blows.
The most difficult thing is for novice gardeners, who, in addition to mastering when to collect apples for storage, also need to study technologies for their preservation.
Antonovka is one of the most the most popular varieties apple trees, which many summer residents like to plant on their site. Those who love to feast on the most useful product give preference to Antonovka, because this tree does not require special care, but at the same time it gives good harvest... But in order to preserve the fruits for the whole winter, you need to know when to pick Antonovka's apples and how to pick them correctly?
When to pick apples Antonovka?
In order to correctly determine the time of apple harvest, you need to be able to distinguish between consumer and removable maturity. The consumer's value is determined by the full ripeness of the fruit, when the apple has become as soft and aromatic as possible. These apples can be canned immediately after harvesting. Apple fruits reach this maturity by mid-autumn.
Removable maturity is when the fetus is not yet fully ripe. Such fruits taste tough, they have not yet been filled with the right amount of sugar, but there is a lot of acid in them. But at this time, the apple trees are already ready for collection and transportation. Such apples will be perfectly stored all winter; they need to be harvested from the end of September. The fact that apples can already be harvested will be told by their appearance: if you look closely, you can notice yellow spots on their peel.
Don't wait until the apple turns completely yellow. This can only tell that the apple is fully ripe and will not be stored for long. Apples harvested for long-term storage ripen in a container. But, in no case should you pick green apples, they are not yet enriched with vitamins and minerals, and in the torn form, they can no longer become as useful as possible. It is worth remembering that Antonovka apples never crumble, which means that you can wait for full ripeness without loss.
How to collect Antonovka's apples so that they are stored longer?
Before proceeding with the collection of Antonovka apples, which are planned to be stored in the future, you need to prepare the appropriate container - boxes or baskets, completely dry. The bottom of the container must be covered with foil or cloth. Many summer residents prefer to store apples in straw, and as practice has shown, their shelf life is significantly increased. The room where the crop will be stored is also worth preparing: remove dust, dirt and treat with a disinfectant solution. The fruits will last longest in a cool and dry place.
Antonovka needs to pick apples in the morning, after all the dew has disappeared, but at the same time the sun has not yet come out and has not heated the fruits. It should be dry outside so that the fruits are not wet when they enter the container. You need to pick the fruits carefully, without damaging them. If during the harvest the apples themselves fell, then they need to be put in a separate container and eaten first. That's all the subtleties of collecting Antonovka, if you follow the rules of harvesting, then the harvest will delight with its aromas all winter.