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Here’s a short story before we begin our guide to understanding apple measurements. A lady wants to replicate her mother’s legendary applesauce recipe. Unfortunately, the recipe doesn’t say how many pounds, cups or pecks of apple she needs to make it taste great.
So the lady goes wandering about the different sections of a grocery store looking for apples. She’s not sure how many apples in a pound, cup or peck to drop into her shopping cart. So she buys as many apples as she can, just to be safe. Eventually, she discovers she doesn’t need that much. Now she has to give out all those apples. What a waste!
To avoid a similar situation, this extensive guide will explain everything you need to clarify the difference between a pound, cup or peck of apples.
There are how many apples in a pound?
A pound of apples is typically made up of 4 medium-sized apples. That’s around the size of a tennis ball. When you hold one, it should fit perfectly into your palms.
So if your recipe requires 2 pounds of apples, you’ll need to get 8 tennis ball sized apples from the grocery store. Usually, they’re in the Produce department. That’s where you can find broccoli, as well as other fresh food items.
Since size plays a crucial role in determining your pound purchase, you can also buy 2 large apples to make a pound if you don’t find medium sized apples.
How many apples in a cup?
Now this is the trickier part. Unless you’re a professional baker, it’s easy to get confused when your recipe book demands a cup of apples. But it’s actually really simple.
A cup of apples is equal to ¾ (three-quarters) of a medium sized apple. So if your recipe calls for 2 cups of apples, just 1 pound of apples will do. That is, 4 medium sized apples or 2 large ones.
And no, you don’t fit the whole apple into the cups. Rather, you cut them in cubes or grind them to pulp. Now that you know how many apples in a cup there are, let’s look at how many apples in a peck there are.
How many apples come in a peck?
A peck of apples contains the following sizes of apples:
- 52 small size apples
- 39 medium size apples
- 26 big size apples
A peck is a unit of dry volume in the United States customary and British imperial systems of measurement. If you want to store a lot of apples in your pantry, then a peck of apples is what you should buy.
It can fit into a small wooden basket and is expected to weigh about 13 pounds.
Since 39 medium size apples make a peck, that’s roughly 9 to 10 pounds of apples to purchase from the grocery store. It’ll save you a lot of money since you’re buying it in bulk.
FAQs
What can I do with many apples?
If you end up with an abundance of apples like the lady in our story, you can dry them for a start. Drying prevents them from going bad or rotten, and is the same trick used to make sun dried tomatoes.
Alternatively, you can juice them and store them in your fridge. They’ll last longer than when you just toss them into the fridge without juicing. Amazon has some really nice juicer machines you can purchase at affordable prices. Also, they’re easy to operate.
Should you keep apples in the fridge?
Apples thrive better in a cool, dark place. So yes, you should store them in the fridge to help them stay crisp. However, you shouldn’t keep them close to vegetables. Instead, put them in separate plastic bags before storing them in the fridge.
The reason is because apples release a gas called ethylene when they reach their ripening stage. This gas causes other fresh produce close to them to ripen prematurely.
The best way to store fruits and vegetables is to always keep them apart. Preferably, wrap each apple separately before tossing them in the fridge.
How long do apples last in the fridge?
Without juicing them, your apples are good for 6 to 8 weeks in the fridge. Just don’t wash them before storing in the fridge. Washing fruits adds excess moisture to the fruit, causing it to decay faster.
If you must wash the apples, always wait for them to dry before storing them in the fridge. When you’re ready to eat the unwashed apples, take them out and rinse them thoroughly before consumption.
If you enjoyed our piece on apple measurements, we made a short list of other grocery articles we’re sure you’d love:
Irene is a Freelance content writer who helps professionals and startups build an audience with original content online. She has written over +100 articles, and is backed up by 3 years experience. She loves gaming and listening to music, while she’s not tapping furiously on her laptop.