Pick apples when the background skin turns from green toward yellow, then store undamaged fruit cool.
Pick when the background color turns from green toward yellow
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Ripe cue | Ground color at the stem bowl shifts from green toward yellow; flesh is crisp, not starchy | Do not pick by red blush alone, and do not wait for a frost |
| Handle | Cup the fruit and twist it up so the spur stays on the tree | Do not yank down or shake the tree |
| Window | Use the cultivar's usual month, then taste a few each week | Do not pick the whole tree on one calendar date |
Each cultivar ripens on its own clock, from summer early fruit through late October keepers. [1] A frost is not a ripeness test. Honeycrisp is a midseason apple; Granny Smith hangs late. [2] When a few sound apples drop, the rest on the tree are close. [3] Cut one open and taste it. Starch that sticks to your teeth means wait a few days. [4]
When do I pick apples?
When the background skin turns from green toward yellow and the flesh tastes crisp, not starchy. Use the cultivar's usual month as a start, then taste.
How to pick and store apples
- Cup the fruit in your palm and twist it upward. Leave the stem on the apple and the spur on the tree.
- Set fruit in a shallow box. Do not pile bruised apples with keepers.
- Do not wash fruit before storage. Moisture on the skin speeds rot.
- Store only sound fruit in a ventilated box or a perforated bag, as close to freezing as you can hold without freezing the flesh. Most kinds keep near 32°F; Honeycrisp and McIntosh prefer a little warmer, around 38°F.
How long do apples keep after I pick them?
Early fruit is for eating soon. Late keepers hold for months at about 32°F if they went in unbruised. Honeycrisp stores better a little warmer.
Thin extra fruit in early summer so the rest can size
In June, after the natural drop, remove the smallest apples so one or two remain in each cluster. Crowded fruit stays small, breaks spurs, and ripens unevenly. Thin while the fruit is still easy to twist off. This is a crop cut, not the late-winter prune on Pruning Apple Trees.
Why are my apples small and crowded?
Leave one or two fruit in each cluster in June. A heavy set without thinning makes small apples and can snap fruiting wood.
If the flesh still tastes starchy, wait a few days and taste again before you pick the rest of the tree.
FAQ
Do late apples need a frost to sweeten?
No. Sugar builds as starch converts on the tree. A frost can damage fruit that is already ripe.
Related guides
Recommended plants
References
- [1] University of Minnesota Extension -
https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-news/when-pick-your-apples - [2] Oregon State University Extension Service -
https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/fs-147-picking-storing-apples-pears - [3] Old Farmer's Almanac -
https://www.almanac.com/plant/apples - [4] Gardener's Path -
https://gardenerspath.com/plants/fruit-trees/grow-apple-trees/
This note is part of Apple Guides.
More harvest timing notes by plant live in Harvesting Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors