A cool room or root cellar, I don't have but in the works on a root cellar. Or in a shed, cover it up with blankets, they can be fine with night time freezes but not long with daytime freezes.

Lacking a root cellar you can bury a large garbage pail or any such container into the earth on the north side of a house for apple storage, but only use sound apples. You can place a pile of dry leaves over the lid and use a silver tarp over that to allow access all winter. That should work better than any root cellar because it functions as a kind of CO2 storage.

I haven't done it myself, but I've read others reports about using the method and I can't figure how it would not work. The only problem would be the need to remove rotting apples, I think. I need to go through my root cellar type storage area every 3 weeks or so to eliminate the rotters.

The key to temperature moderation in any apple or root storage is buckets of water (I actually use 5 liters cans of olive oil). In deep winter, take buckets of water from the house and place them in your storage. In March, freeze buckets of water at night outside, then take them into your storage area. Both methods help keep the temperature around 32F, several degrees above the apples freezing point.

OK, thanks for the comments. HM, rather than go to the work of digging a hole i thought I would surround the containers with bales of old straw. I have plenty of straw and a perfect northern site. I was concerned about the lack of ventilation in a garbage can.

Glib that's a great idea. Too much work for me- I'd rather just depend on the staying power of the likes of Goldrush and Ark Black but a great idea nevertheless.

Yes, 5 gallons of liquid water yield 60,000 BTU of heat when freezing. They absorb the same when thawing. Having a spare freezer (bought on Craigslist for $90) makes inserting and removing the bucket (the cans actually) very easy.

As I recall ideal storage temp is 33F. They can take down to around 30F since 32F is the freezing point of pure water and the water in and around apple cells it replete with carbs and other solids that retard crystal formation.

I seem to recall best storage humidity is quite high.

The fruit should be completely unblemished or marked with stems left on to lessen points of initial rotting. Fruit not touching each other (yes, I know good luck with that); another point of rot initiation. Decent atmosphere circulation (another good luck but some thought of design can go into it). As was said periodic inspection to remove those that are rotting. Keep predators (insect and four legged) out.

I forgot to add if there is bloom (whitish waxy coating) on the fruit do not remove it until ready to consume (if desired to pretty it up) it as it protects from decomp as well.

Unfortunately the unblemished (Farmer's Market quality) fruit is what we instinctively usually first go for and it should be carefully set aside and the less desirable fruit consumed fresh or bad parts cut off and the remainder processed (cooking, "canning").

This post was edited by Fascist_Nation on Fri, Nov 7, 14 at 14:04

Yes, I agree with everything Fascist Nation said.

I leave them on a table on the North side of the house in the shade until about now (early November), when the squirrels start going crazy and jumping up to eat them. By now it is usually cooling off enough that I can put them in the unheated storage shed. I do think variety is important. I am starting to grow some varieties like Sturmer Pippin and Altlander Pfannkuchenapfel, which are also supposed to be outstanding keepers.
John S
PDX OR