pick apples before or after frost?

[PlayaMama]

our neighbor has three amazing apple trees and doesn't want any of the apples. we've been juicing and eating them all summer but our first frost is coming within a few days, should i pluck a bunch and try to root cellar them or will they be fine on the tree for the frost?

tia!

[Ianthe]

subbing.. would like to know too!

[lmonter]

If you want to store them in your root cellar, collect before the first *hard* frost - otherwise they may go all mushy much, much quicker than you'd like (and once one apple is bad, unless you have them individually wrapped, whoops).

If you're just planning to turn them into cider or juice or applesauce, after the frost is okay if they're still ripe. You'll be mushing them anyway.

[PlayaMama]

well, i think before the frost would have been best!

lots of applesauce will be happening around here

[Hibou]

A local orchardist (is that a word?) told me that their apples could tolerate as cold as about -3 or -4 degrees celcius. These will go into storage, and keep well until mid-winter. HTH.

[Fuamami]

You can dry them, too. If you have food processor, you can make fruit leather.