Ways Apples Are Stored All Year Long
Have you often wondered how apples are available all year around if they are harvested in the fall? If it weren't for modern technology a lot of apples would go to waste. There are two ways in which apples can be stored straight from the tree: cold storage or controlled atmosphere storage.
With the cold storage option the apples are picked at the peak of ripeness. This is when the apples have reached the sweet and crispy stage. If the apples are picked too early this could result in sour or mushy apples. After the apples are picked they are then piled into cold storerooms in warehouses. These warehouses have been cooled to a chilling thirty-two degrees but they maintain a high level of humidity. This will cause the apples to ripen further. Any apple that is kept in cold storage is often sold within three or four months.
The second option is controlled atmosphere storage. This type of storage is more expensive than that of the cold storage option. As the apples go through the ripening stage, they will consume oxygen and release carbon dioxide. The environment of the controlled atmosphere storage is airtight. The available oxygen is markedly reduced while the level of carbon dioxide is increased.
This modern technology slows, if not stalls, the ripening process. Apples can actually be stored for longer than mid-winter. These apples are shipped to markets all over the country. Apples that are in great shape are rewarded with this type of storage. The next time that you take a bite of an apple in the summer, keep in mind that it could have been picked over a half a year before.
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