Good enough to eat

●● Storing apples and pears YOU should be harvesting the first of your apples and pears now, but they will need to be stored properly if you want them to last. Always use any blemished fruit straight away, as this will be the first to go off. Mid-season apples can be kept a few weeks and late ones should last for months. Ideally, use a series of stacking trays with plenty of ventilation, wrapping each fruit in newspaper and placing them folded side down in the tray.

Alternatively, use clear polythene bags perforated with small air holes.

Pears are best stored in slatted trays and shouldn’t be wrapped. The atmosphere should be around 7C (45F) for pears and slightly lower for apples.