Wrapping apples individually in newspaper and keeping them in a pantry can keep them fresh, crisp and unblemished for six weeks, according to an experiment by experts at The Kitchn.
The method scored a perfect 10 out of 10 after a six-week trial comparing seven different ways of storing apples. It beat other popular options, including keeping fruit in a fridge crisper drawer or on a kitchen counter.
Experiment details
The experts used organic, unwaxed Honeycrisp apples bought from the same market with the same packed-on date, choosing fresh-looking fruit without bruises or broken skin. Three apples were used for each test, with some kept on the kitchen counter and others placed in the fridge or pantry.
One of the first methods tested was putting the fruit in a brown paper bag and leaving it on the counter. At the five-week mark, those apples had dark soft spots and some had wrinkled and shrivelled skin. Inside, there were brown and rotten areas, while the parts that were still unblemished tasted dry and bland.
Other methods compared
A bowl was not much better. Those apples remained firm for five weeks, but three days later they had developed mushy areas and had become rather bland. Using an open wire basket produced similar soft spots after around five-and-a-half weeks, although the fruit managed to retain more of its juicy, crisp-sweet taste.
The results changed once the apples were kept somewhere colder. Those left loose in the fridge's crisper drawer were still crisp and juicy at six weeks, despite small soft spots appearing on two of the three. Keeping them in an open plastic produce bag in the same drawer proved even more effective, with only very minor signs of ageing after six weeks.
Top two methods
Putting three apples in a brown paper bag, folding the top closed and keeping it in the fridge's crisper drawer earned a score of 9.8 out of 10. After six weeks, they remained firm and unspoiled apart from one tiny blemish, while still tasting crisp and juicy.
The method that narrowly beat it was surprisingly simple. Each apple was wrapped separately in newspaper and placed in a single layer inside a cardboard box in a pantry away from other fruit and vegetables. At the end of the six-week experiment, all three still had smooth, unblemished skins and firm flesh without soft spots. They had also kept their juicy, sweet-tart flavour.
Experts at The Kitchn explained that wrapping each apple helped contain the ethylene gas it produced, so one going bad would be less likely to affect the others.
