Apples in September and October split into two groups: ones to eat now and ones bred to keep. Early and mid-season varieties bruise easily and don't store, so eat or use those within a few weeks. Late, firm-skinned varieties can keep for months if they go into store dry, unbruised, and laid out so one bad apple can't spoil its neighbours. That layout is most of the job. After that it's just checking on them.

Pick and Store Apples for Winter Keeping

What you need

late-season apples, unbruised and free of windfalls
4 wooden or plastic produce crates or slatted wooden apple trays
20 sheets newspaper one per apple, for thin-skinned varieties that bruise easily
a cool, dark, frost-free shed, garage or unheated room

Step by step

Test each apple by cupping it in your hand and giving a gentle twist upward. A ripe apple parts from the spur with its stalk intact; if it resists, leave it another few days.
20 min
Pick only whole, unbruised apples for the store. Leave windfalls and anything with insect holes or soft patches to eat straight away or add to the compost heap.
15 min
Sort by variety and keeping time. Early and mid-season apples are for eating now; later, firmer-skinned varieties are the ones worth storing.
10 min
Wrap thin-skinned or bruise-prone apples individually in a sheet of newspaper. Thick-skinned keepers can go in loose.
20 min
Lay the apples in a single layer in the crates, stalk up, without touching each other, so a rotting fruit can't spread to the ones next to it.
15 min
Move the crates to a cool, dark, frost-free space around 3-7°C, stacking them with a gap between each for air to move.
10 min
Label each crate with the variety and picking date, so you know which to work through first.
5 min

Afterwards

Check the store every couple of weeks and remove any apple that has turned brown or soft before it spreads to its neighbours — one rotten apple genuinely will spoil the crate. Work through thin-skinned varieties first; firm keepers can last into late winter or early spring.

Questions

Which apples keep best?

Late-season, firm, thick-skinned varieties such as Bramley or other late croppers store for months. Early and mid-season apples are best eaten fresh within a few weeks.

Do I need to wrap every apple?

No, only thin-skinned varieties that bruise easily benefit from an individual wrap. Thick-skinned keepers store fine loose in a single layer.

Can I store apples in a fridge?

A small batch keeps well in the salad drawer, but a shed or unheated room is more practical for a full crop and gives similar cool, humid conditions.

How do I know an apple is ready to pick?

Lift and twist gently. A ripe apple comes away with its stalk attached; if you have to tug or pull leaves off with it, leave it longer.