In message , anton
writes

sparky wrote in message ...
Dear All

I wonder if any of you would be kind enough to help me with the following
problem

I have a cox apple tree which crops well I pick the apples when they are
ripe and wrap them individually and store them in the dry

After about 4 - 6 weeks they become a bit spongy

The ones I buy in the shops now are firm & in perfect condition

Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong ?


You're doing nothing wrong. (If you can keep them cool as
well as dry, they might last slightly longer) The ones in the
shops are
stored in special cool stores with controlled levels of
CO2 to prevent ripening.

You can store apples successfully in a fridge for some time. Put them
in some plastic bags with some holes in for ventilation, and store in
the bottom of the fridge. As with normal storage keep checking for mould
etc. on the stored apples.

And of course Bob Flowerdew recommends using old freezers (non-working)
as stores for fruit etc. as they can keep the temp quite stable.
--
Chris French and Helen Johnson, Leeds
urg Suppliers and References FAQ:
http://www.familyfrench.co.uk/garden/urgfaq/index.html