Here is Washington State we grow a lot of apples. Most of them
will be ready for harvest in a few weeks (September). There are so many
varieties, and they are such a great food. Thankfully, there is always some
variety available in the stores year round.
To save money, you can buy them on sale and store them. Almost
any kind of apple will keep for several months if properly stored. Our
grandparents had root cellars to store their produce. We can effectively store
apples with just a box and some newspaper.
One of the important steps in storing apples is to store them so
they don't touch each other. If one apple rots, it will spread to the others if
there is not a barrier between them. That is the reason for the newspaper.
Each apple should be individually wrapped with the newspaper
(use only the black and white paper). They should be carefully placed in a box,
and then the box placed in a dark room. You could use your garage, a pantry, an
unheated porch or your basement. Anywhere where it is dark and cool (but not
freezing) will work.
Only store apples without bruises or soft spots, and with the
skin in perfect condition. Apples that have thicker skins will store longer than
ones with thin skins, like Red Delicious. Jonathan is an example of an apple
with a thick skin. Some varieties actually taste better after a few months of
storage.
One other rule- never store apples near potatoes. As potatoes
get older, they let off a gas that will hurt the apples.
Buy some apples when they go on sale next month, and give this
money saving idea a try.