How Long Do Apples Last in the Fridge - The Ultimate Guide (2023)

Who doesn’t appreciate the crisp, sweet or tart flavor of a fresh apple, especially fresh-plucked from the tree? Harvesting fresh apples from the orchard or buying in bulk from the grocery store means you experience days or weeks of healthy treats. This brings us to the common question, how long do apples last in the fridge?

We all love apples, from Golden Delicious and Granny Smith to Fuji and Honeycrisp. With so many to pick from, it’s difficult to choose a favorite.

Not only that, but this versatile fruit is tasty in so many forms, from apple pie and applesauce to apple chutney and apple chicken salad. Unfortunately, the shelf life of apples does not leave much time for enjoyment.

There are several ways to store apples and where you keep them determines how long they last. Apples stored at room temperature do not fare as well as those kept in cold storage.

The key is to provide them with optimal conditions to prevent them from spoiling too soon. After all, no one wants a bad apple.

Picking and Storing the Perfect Apples

Go into anyone’s home, and it’s easy to notice that they have their preference for food storage when it comes to fruit. Some prefer keeping apples fresh in a bowl on the kitchen table while others like them cold from the fridge.

How you store them depends on how quickly you eat them. Believe it or not, but there is more than one way to store apples.

The kitchen counter is the most obvious but not the most efficient. We’ll show you how to keep apples fresh through the winter and how to store them in the fridge and freezer with a few simple steps.

It’s relatively easy to tell if an apple is fresh by looking at it, smelling it, and feeling it, but do you know how to tell if an avocado is good? Usually, it’s necessary to cut into an avocado to ensure that it has not spoiled.

Choosing the Perfect Apple and Keeping Apples Fresh through the Winter

Harvesting apples from an orchard is the best way to ensure you get the freshest produce. Growing your own apple trees means that you choose when to pick them and how many you want.

However, hastily plucking apples from trees and storing the bushel on your pantry floor is not the best idea. It’s essential to know how to tell if an apple is fresh and ripe for the picking and then store it using the best method.

For storing apples long-term, choose fruits that are small with thick skin. Also, tart apples tend to last longer than sweet ones and have a shelf life twice as long. Handle the apples with tender loving care to avoid bruising them.

Cradling them in your hand like an egg is the best way to ensure they last. A bruised apple emits ethylene gas, causing the surrounding fruits and veggies to spoil faster. To store your fruit, sort through the apples, and check for soft spots or damage.

Separate the nicked or bruised ones from the healthy ones. Eat the damaged apples first and save the others for storing. Fold each apple in a sheet of newspaper and set them carefully into a box. The paper prevents any bad apples from contaminating others.

Place the box of apples in a cool area of the home, such as the garage, basement, or cellar. The best temperature for storage is between 30 and 35°F to prevent freezing or spoilage.

How long do apples last with this technique? Stored in this manner, they last up to five months, as long as the temperature and humidity do not fluctuate.

How Long do Apples Last in the Fridge?

Refrigerating produce definitely helps it last longer. Cucumber fridge life, as well as that of your apples, is one of the best ways to keep them fresh – as long as you store them properly. How long do apples last if they are refrigerated? Whole apples last one to two months while cut apples only last three to five days.

Place the apples individually into plastic bags and set them gently into the crisper drawer of your refrigerator. Store them separately from other fruits and veggies to prevent ethylene gases from spoiling the fruit.

Consider increasing the humidity of your crisper to prolong the life of your apples. The refrigerator is a natural dehydrator, and placing a damp paper towel in the drawer helps keep the humidity levels high enough to keep your apples fresh.

You may be wondering about how to keep other foods fresh in the refrigerator. How long do farm fresh eggs last in fridge? Eggs last up to five weeks with this storage method.

Do peppers go bad in the fridge? Any food can still spoil, even if it is properly stored in the refrigerator. If you don’t think you will eat certain foods within a short period of time, it’s best to employ more long-term preservation methods like freezing or canning.

How to Keep Apples Fresh in the Freezer

There are many ways to use up those apples without having to store them in the fridge. One of the most popular is to make applesauce since canned fruits have a long shelf life. However, one of the easiest ways to store them long term is in the freezer.

Peel and core the fruits and slice them into desired pieces. Combine the water and lemon juice in a large bowl and add the apple slices for five minutes of soaking. Spread the fruit on a baking pan and flash freeze them for four hours.

Transfer the frozen apple slices to freezer bags, and press as much air out of the storage bag as possible before sealing it. Write the date and contents on the top-side of the bag, and place them in the freezer.

How long do apples last in the freezer? When properly stored, they last ten to twelve months. For most recipes, such as smoothies, pies, and crisps, frozen apples do not require thawing before adding them to the recipe. To thaw, place frozen apples in the refrigerator overnight and use them as you would normally.

Keeping bananas fresh in the freezer is a great way to use them later for smoothies or for banana bread, too.

You can freeze mozzarella balls, pre-prepared casseroles, and breaded veggies in the freezer for quick eating later. You may even want to invest in a chest or upright deep freezer if you plan to store many foods in freezing temps.

Apples are so versatile that they are great eaten fresh, baked in a pie, or added to your favorite chicken entree.

Not only that, but there are so many types that you’re sure to find a favorite, whether you have a sweet tooth or long for a bit of tartness. Luckily for us apple-lovers, they are easy to store both short and long term.

Now that we’ve answered the question, how long do apples last in the fridge, why not share the answer with your friends and family on Pinterest and Facebook, so they get to enjoy fresh apples, too?