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Due to the diverse variety of apples, harvesting occurs at different times throughout the year. Most apples in the U.S., however, are harvested in the fall (between August and October).
Before harvesting occurs, apples must be tested for "maturity" to determine if they're ready to be picked. This process allows consumers to receive fresh apples of the highest quality and for processors to select only the ripest apples for apple juice and applesauce. Apples that are harvested too early may taste sour or starchy, and apples harvested too late may be soft.
To determine maturity, many characteristics of the apples are checked prior to picking. The amount of sugar, the apple’s firmness, seed, and skin color.
Once the apples are confirmed to be "mature," they are picked (mostly by hand, although some mechanical methods have been developed). The apples are then placed in canvas bags or lined buckets inside of large bins. These apple-filled bins are picked up by a forklift, loaded onto a truck and transported to a central loading area - where apples that are bruised, cut or have insect or disease problems are immediately removed. The remaining apples are stored immediately to ensure maximum storage life.
The apples are now ready for the trip to your local grocery store or to be used in everyone's favorites: APPLE JUICE and APPLESAUCE.
Just like apples that are delivered fresh to your local grocery store, apples that are processed to make apple juice, applesauce and other apple products are picked at their optimum maturity. Only high quality, ripe apples will do! Apples that are an "off" shape or appear to have "skin blemishes" may not be ideal for the produce department - but they are perfectly suitable for processing.
Before raw apples are processed into apple juice, cider or sauce, they undergo extensive washing procedures designed to remove external surface dirt and topical agrichemical residues. Once the apples are cleaned and processed into apple juice or applesauce, they then are subject to analysis using sophisticated, government-approved testing methods that can monitor for even trace amounts of pesticide residues (or other agrichemicals). Apple processors always employ strict testing procedures, both in-house and through independent testing laboratories, to ensure the highest quality, purity and safety of their products. Even though apples undergo vigorous cleaning processes, it is possible that some residues may remain after processing. However, the amounts are so small as to be considered insignificant by strict government standards.
Many people today do not have root cellars. However, storing apples are fairly easy and stored properly they should keep for 3 or 4 months. One way is to take and wrap them in newspaper and put them in a box storing the box in a cool dark place. Remember that old proverb, “one rotten apple spoils the barrel”? It is true so only store apples that are not bruised. The many cause of apple spoilage is bruising, time and contact with another apple that has a bruise.
Thick skinned & tart apples; such as Granny Smith and Jonathans; keep better than thin skinned ones like Delicious.
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Author Bio Box: Arlene Wright Correll
 Resources: Excerpted from “Food For Thought Series” by Arlene Wright-Correll
For more gardening or cooking information click http://www.learn-america.com/ and click on Arlene’s Books you can download or buy my gardening & cook books. All my royalties from the sale of my books go to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and we thank you for your attention to this site.
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