That Grocery Store Apple Might Be Older Than You Think

You Should Know: It’s officially apple picking season! And all the fall vibes might make you assume every apple at the store is farm fresh. But that’s not exactly true. Apples are harvested once a year (August to November), and growers have clever ways to keep them crisp for up to 10 months.

Going Deeper: About 40% of the U.S. apple crop ships off to stores right after harvest. The rest goes into controlled atmosphere storage, where oxygen drops to 1% to 3% (regular air has about 21%). That puts apples to sleep, so to speak, and stops them from ripening. Many also get a gas treatment that blocks ethylene (the compound that triggers ripening) and a wax coating that holds in moisture.

Takeaway: So is an older apple a worse apple? Stored apples are completely safe, and their nutrition doesn’t deteriorate much. Taste is a tradeoff, though, since apples stored six months or more can lose some flavor. So fall is your best opportunity to savor a freshly picked one.

Bottom Line: Your grocery store apple could be nearly a year old (especially in the spring and summer). It’ll still make a healthy snack, but it may not taste as good as a freshly picked apple.