With apple-harvesting season in full swing, now is a great time to get out and pick some of the fresh fruit from local orchards or your own trees if you have them. Harvesting apples at just the right time affects the fruits’ taste and storability, so learn the signs of proper apple maturity before venturing into the orchard.

Apples from the Vertacnik Orchard sit in a basket.

Like many things in nature, there are a lot of variables to exactly when an apple is ready to pick. The weather plays a key role as well as the specific type or variety of apple. Although it still sounds easy enough, there are about 2,500 varieties of apples grown in the United States, and they ripen over a period of about 18 weeks. Familiarity with the variety is a good first step. Then, find out when the variety typically matures in our area through a little Internet research, the library or your local extension office.

If the variety name escapes you, use the color of the apples’ skin as another major clue. This is sometimes referred to as the “ground color.” When reaching maturity, the ground color will change to red or a more yellowish-green or golden depending on the color of the variety.

Color-judging may take a few years of practice and close observation when the apples appear to getting close to ripe.

Taste testing is also an option. Apples that are picked too early will be hard to cut or bite into and typically have a sour or bitter flavor. Seed color can also be checked when taste testing. Seeds will be dark brown in mature fruit (although seeds sometimes mature more quickly than the fruit).

On the flipside, overripe fruit may be soft or gritty and already breaking down internally. Overripe fruit has a short shelf life and should be processed or consumed soon after picking, along with any fruit that is bruised or damaged.

Store apples in baskets or ventilated plastic bags. For longest shelf life, store at or near 32 degrees Fahrenheit with high humidity. Also, keep apples separate from other fruits and vegetables. Once an apple begins to decay, whether through bruising or over-ripening, it gives off ethylene gas that will speed the ripening of other fruits and vegetables.

Of all the varieties of apples grown in the U.S., about a hundred of those are produced commercially. The varieties seen most often at the grocery store and farmers market are typically popular because of their storability.

Winesap and Rome Beauty can be stored for six to seven months with the right conditions. Other varieties may be chosen for disease resistance or specific flavor characteristics. Lodi apples, for example, mature earlier than most other varieties (typically July in this area) and have a shelf life of only a few weeks but are a favorite for applesauce.

— Jennifer Smith is a former horticulture extension agent for K-State Research and Extension and horticulturist for Lawrence Parks and Recreation. She is the host of “The Garden Show” and has been a gardener since childhood. Send your gardening questions and feedback to Lawrence Living@ljworld.com.