How to Store Apples in a Shed (Ours Are Still Crunchy Months Later)

It’s February and I’m still eating apples harvested in September and October, and they’re still crisp and delicious.

They’re not supermarket perfect – our apple tree is 150 years old – but they taste great.

They haven’t been in a fridge.
They haven’t been treated or wrapped in anything fancy.
They’ve just been stored in a garden shed.

Done properly, a shed is one of the best places to store apples over winter — but only if you understand what actually matters.

In this guide, I will explain how to store apples in a shed over winter so that you can enjoy them months after harvest.

The One Rule That Matters Most

You’ve heard the saying:

“One bad apple spoils the whole bunch.”

With stored apples, that’s not a metaphor — it’s chemistry.

As apples ripen and decay, they release ethylene gas, which accelerates ripening in nearby fruit. If apples are touching, one damaged apple can trigger a chain reaction.

Keeping apples separated is more important than temperature, containers, or variety.

Everything else builds on that.

🍎 What We Actually Did (Simple Shed Method)

Apple trays keep fruit separated, allow airflow, and make it easy to spot any apples starting to turn.

Our apples were stored like this:

• In a cool garden shed
• On raised shelves, not on the floor
• In single layers
• Apples not touching
• Laid out in apple trays

Each apple has air around it. If one starts to turn, it doesn’t take the others with it.

This is the main reason they’ve lasted so well.

🏡 Why a Shed Works So Well for Apple Storage

A typical UK shed accidentally provides near-ideal conditions for apples.

Cool (but not freezing)

Sheds stay cold through autumn and winter without the drying effect of a fridge.

Ventilated

They’re not airtight, so ethylene gas doesn’t build up around the fruit.

Naturally Humid

Unlike heated rooms, sheds usually have enough background humidity to stop apples shrivelling — without encouraging mould.

This cool + ventilated + slightly humid balance is hard to achieve indoors and is exactly what long-keeping apples need.

As long as the shed is dry (no leaks or dripping condensation), it can outperform kitchens and even fridges for long-term storage.

⚠️ The Rodent Reality (Don’t Skip This)

One thing many guides forget:
a shed in winter is prime real estate for mice.

If you’re storing apples in a shed:

• Keep trays off the floor
• Use solid shelving
• Avoid cardboard boxes sitting directly on the ground
• Consider wire mesh bases if rodents are a known issue

In our case, the apples are stored high on shelves, which greatly reduces the risk. A single mouse can ruin both apples and confidence in your setup.

This is real-world storage — plan for wildlife.

Wrapping Apples: When It Helps

If you don’t have trays:

• Wrap apples individually in newspaper
• Place them in shallow crates or boxes
• Avoid stacking apples directly on top of each other

Wrapping helps isolate ethylene and limits spread if one apple turns, but proper spacing is still the gold standard.

❄️ Shed vs Garage vs Fridge (Quick Comparison)

If you want apples to last months, ventilation beats refrigeration.

Why Annie Elizabeth Stores So Well (and Why You Rarely See It Now)

Annie Elizabeth isn’t a common apple today — and that’s part of why this result matters.

The variety dates back to the mid-1800s, when apples were bred to store through winter, not be eaten immediately. Many surviving trees are now well over a century old, including ours.

Annie Elizabeth stores so well because it has:

• Thick skin
• High acidity
• Dense flesh
• Late ripening

These traits were intentional. Older apples prioritised keeping quality; modern apples prioritise sweetness and appearance.

Annie Elizabeth isn’t widely planted anymore, but it is still available from specialist nurseries. If your intention is to store apples over winter rather than eat them straight off the tree, choosing a heritage variety bred for keeping quality — like Annie Elizabeth — can make a bigger difference than any storage method.

Common UK Apples Today — and How They Compare

Most apples planted in UK gardens now behave very differently.

Very Common Modern Apples (Poor Storers)

These are widely sold — and the reason many people think apple storage “doesn’t work”.

• Discovery – Extremely common; early, soft, poor keeper
• Katy (Katja) – Popular and productive; short storage life
• Gala – Common; stores briefly but softens quickly

No shed setup will turn these into winter apples. They’re meant to be eaten fresh.

Common Cooking Apples

• Bramley – Still extremely common; stores well for a cooking apple

Bramley is one of the few widely grown apples where long storage genuinely makes sense.

Older or Less Common Apples That Store Better

Mostly found in older gardens or specialist plantings.

• Annie Elizabeth – Excellent keeper; now largely a heritage variety
• Egremont Russet – Fairly common; moderate to good storage
• Cox’s Orange Pippin – Historically widespread; average storage life

A Simple Rule That Actually Works

If an apple:

• ripens early
• tastes sweet straight off the tree
• softens quickly

…it’s unlikely to store well, no matter how carefully you handle it.

Late-ripening, sharper apples with firm flesh are the ones that reward storage.

Check Apples Regularly

Every couple of weeks:

• Inspect trays or wrapped apples
• Remove anything softening or marking
• Don’t “leave it and see”

This is where the proverb becomes practical again:
one bad apple really can spoil the rest if ignored.

The Takeaway

You don’t need a fridge, cellar, or specialist kit to store apples over winter.

You need:

• Separation
• Cool air
• Ventilation
• A little humidity
• Awareness that mice exist

A simple shed, used properly, can keep apples crisp for months.

🌱 What Happens to Nutrition During Storage?

Storing apples over winter does cause some gradual nutrient loss, but it’s far less dramatic than many people assume.

• Vitamin C declines slowly over time, particularly after several months
• Fibre, natural sugars, and most minerals remain largely unchanged
• Antioxidants reduce gradually, but apples still retain useful nutritional value well into winter

In practical terms, a properly stored apple in winter is still a nutritious food — and often comparable to supermarket apples that have been stored for months in controlled conditions before sale.

Taste, texture, and freshness tend to matter more than small changes in vitamin content, and well-stored apples remain a valuable part of a winter diet.

Homegrown vs Supermarket Apples

One important difference with homegrown apples is how they’re grown and handled.

Supermarket apples are typically:

• grown with approved pesticide programmes
• harvested early
• stored for long periods in controlled-atmosphere facilities
• sometimes treated post-harvest to extend shelf life

By contrast, our apples are:

• homegrown
• untreated
• stored naturally in a shed
• eaten exactly as harvested

While approved pesticide use is regulated and considered safe within limits, many people prefer homegrown fruit for peace of mind and simplicity — especially when the apples are eaten regularly.

The biggest nutritional advantage of homegrown apples often comes from freshness, variety choice, and reduced processing, rather than any single nutrient difference.

Where This Fits in the Bigger Picture

Storing apples is just one part of managing a home harvest properly. For a broader look at storing and preserving crops through the year, see our HomeGrower Guide to Food Preservation.