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REFRIGERATION

Food storage

How to store apples

Apples continue to ripen after harvest, and warmth speeds this up dramatically. At room temperature they soften and lose crunch far faster than in cold storage. Commercial storage holds most varieties close to 0 °C; some are sensitive to very low temperatures, so a practical commercial range is 0 to +4 °C. Apples also produce ethylene, which can cause leafy greens to yellow and flowers to wilt, so they should be stored separately. Once cut, apples brown quickly and need chilling as a ready-to-eat food.

  • Chilled0 to +4 °C
  • Humidity90–95% RH

Do

  • Store apples cold from delivery, in their trays or cartons, with high humidity to stop shrivelling.
  • Keep apples separate from greens, herbs, carrots and flowers.
  • Inspect regularly and remove bruised or rotting fruit.
  • For displays, rotate chilled stock into the display through the day rather than leaving all of it at ambient.
  • Dip cut apples in diluted lemon juice and chill covered.
  • Wash just before serving.
  • Check delivery cartons for condensation and bruising; apples moved from a cold store into a hot van sweat, and damp cartons encourage rot.
  • Keep a separate drawer or shelf for apples so their ethylene does not reach herbs and greens in the same cabinet.

Avoid

  • Do not store apples in the same compartment as leafy greens or flowers.
  • Do not leave apples in direct sunlight.
  • Do not stack apples so deep that the bottom layers bruise.
  • Do not keep cut apple at room temperature.
  • Do not mix freshly delivered firm apples into a tray of older, softening fruit; the ripe fruit speeds up the rest.

In Indian conditions

Indian apples come mainly from Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, plus imports, and often travel long distances and then sit in cold storage before sale. In summer, apples at ambient in shops can soften within days. Fruit shops and supermarkets benefit from glass-door refrigerated displays, and hotels from keeping buffet stock chilled. During the monsoon, high humidity increases rot at ambient. Wax coatings used on some apples are a separate topic; buy from reputable suppliers who meet FSSAI requirements.

General good practice for commercial kitchens and shops. Where your FSSAI licence conditions or food-safety plan set stricter limits, follow those.