The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-08-02
HOW TO KEEP APPLES.
Ripeness and Care in Packing Essen
tial Also A Cold Cellar.

The best way to keep apples is not
to use them. Someone has liberated
the foregoing factions remark as a
short, effective method for making the
apple supply last. However it is not
satisfactory; the apples are likely to
decay. It is something of a problem
for the majority of householders to
keep winter apples. The average con-
sumner in the city pays no more atten-
tion to keeping his apple supply than
he does potatoes, although as a mat
ter of fact, apples when properly cared
for are much better late in the season
if attention is given.
AS everyone knows who has tried it,
oven sound winter apples if left in a
warm room or in a cellar near a furnace
soon lose flavor and decay. The result
is that many householders lay in no
apple supply but depend on buying in
small lots from the store, paying, OF
course, the long price. As a rule, too,
APPLES obtained from stores in midwin-
ter are inferior. Ordinarily apples can
be readily obtained in lots of few
bushels from growers early in the sea-
son at price much under what they
are retailed at later on.
Here is the recipe, and while there
ere many others, this ranks as one Of
the best and simplest. Get good, sound
apples. This is the first necessity. No
apple will keep long that has begun to
show signs of decay. Get apples that
have not ripened beyond the normal
point for the season, for, as a matter
of fact, as any storage man will ex-
plain, once an apple begins to ripen,
chemical processes are set up that can
not be readily checked.
Handle the apples carefully. Some
people handle apples as they would po-
tatoes and then wonder the fruit does
not keep; handle apples as you would
eggs and be particular that there is no
bruising.
Provide barrels in which to put the
apples, or boxes will do. Now lay a
rather thick course of paper, newspa-
pers are excellent, in the bottom Of the
barrel Of box, letting the papers extend
up the side. Put in a course Of apples,
one tier deep. Do not drop them into
the barrel, put them in carefully; an
apple bruised is an apple ready to rot.
Put a course Of papers over this tier
Of apples precisely as was put over the
bottom of the barrel, although it need
not be so thick. Three or four thick.
nesses are sufficient. Let the paper ex-
tend up the side of the barrel as de-
scribed in starting the bottom. Put on
another tier Of apples. repeating paper
courses and apple tiers until the barrel
or box. as the case NAV be, il within
two inches Of the top. Then mat
down a mass Of papers tightly over the
top. Lay the barrel head on 20 hold
them firm or any weight that win
scver the top. II is a good plan TO
throw s piece Of burlap or bagging over
the top as the final touch. That com
pletes the process Of packing.
The next important thing il tempera-
ture. About every house nowadays has
a fruit cellar. ]; makes good place
70 store the packed apples Never put
hem in the part Of the cellar heated
~ THE furnace The fruit viii ripen
arenaturely. rot and there viii be only
he trouble for the pains.
Il Is apparent from the description
u the method that the object Is first 70
Ssck the apples away from the air.
The closer they are kept from the air
hSbsttsr and then to keep them cool.
fhs fruit cellar can Be- kept down to
= Fahrenhsit through the winter the
tpplss viii remain firm. crisp. retain
heir fsvor snd there viii Be very lit
j. rot, Regulate the temperature BY