Apples stay fresh for 42 days without turning brown if you store them with 1 simple item

There's something special about stocking up on apples - the crunch, the juiciness, the satisfaction of a flavour-packed snack. But too often, we buy a bounty, and a week or two later, they're turning mushy, soft at the stems, or showing those inevitable brown spots.

However, there is good news: a recent test from home cookiing guide The Kitchn found a clear winner for storage-and it uses one simple everyday item.In a six-week trial, The Kitchn's Ann Taylor Pittman pitted several storage methods against each other to see which would keep apples firm, juicy and crisp the longest.

The surprising result was that apples wrapped individually in newspaper and stored in a cool, dark spot remained in excellent condition - far better than many counter or fridge methods. Here's how it works, plus some alternate options if you don't have a proper pantry or dark cupboard.

Apples are living fruit, even after harvest. They continue to respire, releasing ethylene gas which accelerates ripening and softening. One bad apple can speed up the spoilage of its neighbours. Add to that fluctuating temps, exposure to sunlight or warm spots, and excess moisture, and you get mushy skins, interior browning and loss of flavour.

The trial revealed that small changes in storage make a big difference to both texture and taste. When apples were stored at room temperature on the counter in a paper bag, they fared poorly, while stored in the fridge properly, they lasted far longer. The best method, though, was to use a newspaper wrap.

Each apple was wrapped individually in newspaper and placed in a single-layer box (or crate) in a cool pantry away from other fruits that emit ethylene (like bananas or potatoes). At six weeks, the apples stayed "bright, smooth, unblemished ... still juicy and crisp."

If you're thinking of trying the method for yourself at home, remember:

Select apples that are fresh, firm, unbruised and with no broken skins.

Do not wash them before storing, as washing can remove protective coating and cause faster spoilage.

Wrap each apple in a piece of clean newspaper (one sheet or half sheet is fine).

Place them in a box or shallow crate in a cool, dark area (temperatures around 30-35°F / -1 to 2°C if you can approximate that, or the coolest cupboard / cellar you have).

Make sure they are laid in a single layer, not piled.

Keep them separate from produce such as potatoes, bananas or onions (which give off ethylene or absorb odours).

This method limits moisture contact, isolates each apple's ethylene output so one bad one won't spoil the lot, and keeps them in a stable, cool environment.