Check the skin—it should be smooth and reasonably bruise-free. Don’t pinch—you may bruise the apple! Light russet doesn’t hurt quality or flavor.

Store small quantities in your refrigerator, in vented plastic bags in the crisper—between 34 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Don’t allow them to freeze.

Because apples can absorb odors from other foods stored in the same area, keep apples in plastic bags. The plastic also helps retain their own moisture.

Apples ripen six to ten times faster at room temperature than when refrigerated. One or two days sifting on a counter top and the fresh crunch of your apples is lost forever.

Dipping cut apples in lemon juice helps prevent apple discoloration.

Baked apples in the microwave are quick and easy.

Spread apple slices with peanut butter for an easy children’s snack; or dip slices in honey and roll in granola.

Apple seeds were brought to Wisconsin and planted by settlers as early as 1800. During this time there were no commercial orchards, although most of the state’s early farms included an orchard to provide fruit for the farm family.

The first commercial apple orchards in Wisconsin were planted between 1830 and 1850. These early orchards produced many different apple cultivars, some of local origin.

With its short growing season and severe winters, only the most hardy apples could be grown successfully in Wisconsin. In 1890 the Wisconsin State Horticultural Society, a forerunner of the Wisconsin Apple Growers Association, established trial orchards in many parts of the state. Many of these orchards were failures, but the project supplied information that was critical for successful commercial apple production in Wisconsin.

More that 300 commercial orchards, comprising about 6,500 acres, are now found in 57 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties. These acres hold nearly 900,000 trees and produce about 60 million pounds of fruit worth over $15 million per year. Most of the commercial acreage is found in four locations in the state. The most concentrated areas are: Crawford & Richland Counties (1,300 acres), Door County area (824 acres), Bayfield & Chippewa Counties (840 acres), and the greater Milwaukee area (900 acres).

APPLE CIDER OR JUICE