Start by building the side rails (drawer glides). The original plan had 6 drawers and was much shorter, but I cut the uprights to 5 ft tall so I could have 10 drawers. Using 1×3 dimensional lumber, cut 5ft uprights and lay them out before attaching 11 pieces of 1×3 wood at 30 inches long.

When one tray of fruit is reaching optimum ripeness, remove it from storage promptly as the gasses released may speed up the ripening of the remaining fruit in store These kind of conditions are often provided by garages, sheds and even a cellar if you have one but the house (including lofts and attics) is often too warm. Store away from strong smelling substances (such as paint) along with vegetables like garlic and onions.Drawer glide spacing is important, and you’ll need to have them level and evenly spaced so that the drawers will slide easily. There were quite a few apple trees on the land, but two varieties really stood out. Definitely intentionally planted and tended by the previous owners, these trees were chosen for a reason. Wire mesh and door latch - keep out any wildlife that want to eat away at fruit and vegetables, entirely vermin proof

I’m so happy that this has been useful o people that I just had to share his work. Neil graciously sent me pictures of his to add to the article, and this nice note:

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Known as Newton Pippin apples, they’re some of the very best storage apples and can keep for 12-14 months in the right conditions. In fact, they taste pretty darn horrible until they’ve been stored at least 3 months, and then they’re absolutely fabulous. If no suitable storage conditions are available, small quantities of apples can be put in plastic bags in the fridge to store for a few weeks. Fill a bag with 2-3kg (4lb 6oz - 6lb 10oz)of fruit, pierce several holes in it and fold the top loosely to allow air circulation. Extra measures such as wrapping apples individually in newspaper or tissue paper can help them keep longer but will be a hindrance to regular inspection. If you reside in the U.S. territories, please call Goldman Sachs at 877-255-5923 with questions about Apple Card. To access and use all Apple Card features and products available only to Apple Card users, you must add Apple Card to Wallet on an iPhone or iPad that supports and has the latest version of iOS or iPadOS. Apple Card is subject to credit approval, available only for qualifying applicants in the United States, and issued by Goldman Sachs Bank USA, Salt Lake City Branch.

Just as the last of the winter storage apples are fading in the root cellar, this one gives you a shot of apple goodness right in the heat of summer (before the raspberries and other summer fruits). Each drawer holds about 40 large apples like the monster Honeycrisps that weigh 1/2 pound each. With 10 drawers, that’s 200 pounds of apples or 400 big ones (or considerably more smaller ones). About perfect to supply my family of 4 for a long Vermont winter. For me, I’ve got Cox Orange Pippin, which is full-flavored like Ashmead’s Kernel (but without the tannin). It’s a good balance, somewhere in-between a sweet Honeycrisp and a slightly bitter Ashmead’s. There are 2 shelves of those (40 lbs). Storing some pears loose in the salad compartment of the fridge can help to delay ripening until after those in store have been used. Recommended readingMy husband’s favorite storage apple is Ashmead’s Kernel, which has a sharp taste and a good bit of tannin. It’s often considered more of a storage apple, but he likes apples, not for the faint of heart. There are 2 shelves of those (40 lbs). Now though, I’m writing this post 2 months later and we’ve eaten about half of the apples. We don’t buy grocery store fruit in the winter, so we’re limited to what we’ve stored or canned. Sure, I canned a lot of fresh blueberries and cherries to top our yogurt, but we still obviously crave the crisp crunch of fresh fruit.