I know it's frustrating that apple season in Wisconsin is basically three months (August - October) so here is a post to help you extend your season. There are things you must do to with any apple to store it longer. These tips can be applied for short term or long term (over 1 month) storage.
REFRIGERATE your apples! Apples store best when kept between 34-36 degrees. If you leave them on your counter they will ripen 6-10 times faster than in the refrigerator. Now I'm one of those people who like to eat my fruit warm. At the beginning of the day, I'll pull out the apple(s) I plan to eat for the day so it maintains its crispness and flavor. If I forget about it for too long I soon find myself disappointed.
BE GENTLE. Apples are very sensitive and can bruise really easily. Be aware of this and try to treat your apples with care. A bruise will cause the apple to ripen even faster and can also cause apples around it to loose their freshness faster.
GIVE THEM SPACE. Do not store apples in your refrigerator with other fruits or vegetables. They are a diva fruit and would prefer to have their own drawer. To extend their lives even longer, take some time and wrap them individually in paper towel before storing. I'll be honest - we've never done this and haven't had a problem with storage but I also have quite a few more apples in stock if a couple go bad by January or February.
KEEP THEIR STEMS ON. Taking their stems off could create an opening to the flesh of the apple which would cause rotting. That being said, Honeycrisp apples have a hard stem and are thin skinned. These apples would benefit from being wrapped in paper towels individually when storing.
BE PICKY. Certain apples are just not keepers no matter how many precautions you take. We've learned some things over the past forty years of growing and keeping apples and we're happy to share with you which apples we've found to be the best keepers.
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