This year’s local apple crop was pretty much destroyed by the late spring frost. But that won’t keep people who associate the fruit with the fall from snatching up apples at the grocery store. Here are some expert tips for how to store them:

¢ Always refrigerate apples, says Catoctin Mountain Orchard co-owner Bob Black. “It really gets to me when I see a bowl of apples on someone’s table,” he says. “We store apples in cold, humidity-controlled storage areas to preserve their quality. You should do the same at home, unless you’re planning to eat the apples right away.” The fruit bin of your refrigerator is perfect for this, especially when it is set for high humidity. Black also advises refrigerating the apples in an open plastic bag to preserve their moisture.

¢ To make the best apple pies, mix varieties. “In pie making, you need a mix of sugar, acid, tannin and flavors,” says Tom Burford, an orchard consultant, historian and author of several books on growing fruit. “Very few apples have it all.” Two combinations he recommends are Golden Delicious-Jonathan and Golden Delicious-Granny Smith.

¢ For the best applesauce, use Stayman apples. Renowned Southern cooking expert Edna Lewis swore by them, according to Burford. Another great choice is Braeburn, which makes a sweet applesauce.

¢ And save this tip for next year: For the best-tasting apples, buy locally or grow your own. Commercially distributed apples are grown for durability and appearance, so Chuck Shelton of Vintage Virginia Apples in North Garden, Va., recommends buying from nearby orchards that sell only locally; they didn’t select their crop on the basis of durability, he says. And he’s a big fan of the homegrown variety: “It won’t look pretty, but the best-tasting fruit will come off your own trees.”