North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Erdman, James" <ErdmanJ@uwstout.edu>]

-----Original Message-----

Sam Murphy asked, "What is the best way to make them (apples) last if
there 
is no room in the refrigerator and the
basement never gets very cool?"

+++++++++++++++++++

We store them in ice chests, the picnic or camping kind, the better
insulated kind works better. We open/close them and move them in and out
to keep the contents at an even temperature, as close to freezing as
possible.  We use a remote reading thermometer to monitor temps inside
the ice chests so we know when to open them at night to let them cool,
move them into the garage to keep from getting too cold, etc.  This year
I ate my last apple from the previous fall crop in mid-July (a
Northwestern Greening, still good enough to take along with lunch as a
snack.)  This will work only where temps get at least near freezing in
the fall and winter.

Jim Erdman, in Menomonie, WI