Has anyone tried to keep Ida Reds in the root cellar or garage? A friend gave me a bushel as a gift yesterday. I was going to store them between layers of newspaper in my garage ????? Are they good winter keepers? I have kept other varieties well in this manner - but have never tried these.

-- Tiffani (cappello@alltel.net), December 20, 2001

Answers

Yes, they keep very well in the root cellar. Deborah

-- Deborah (jlawton@kaltelnet.net), December 20, 2001.

One of the parents of the Ida Red is the Northern Spy (the other parent was one called Wagoner), so yes they are excellent keepers. They are one of the newer varieties that have superseded (sadly) the Northern Spy as a winter apple in commercial orchards. I like them, but I like the old Spies better. :)

-- Jennifer L. (Northern NYS) (jlance@nospammail.com), December 20, 2001.