Chopping apples

[AngelDog]

Is there a secret technique to doing them quickly?

Peeling & chopping 2 lbs of cooking apples took me 30 minutes yesterday.

I peel them when they're whole, then cut out bruised bits, and do that for all the apples I have. I then cut them into halves, then into 3 wedges and do that for all the apples. I take out all the cores then chop them.

Is there a better method, or am I just slow?

[CogitoErgoSometimes]

I tend to core them first, peel second, de-bruise and chop last. Short of investing in the Heath Robinson contraption places like Lakeland claim does the job, I don't think there's much you can do to speed itup.

[4merlyknownasSHD]

AD, you are possibly slow, possibly just not being efficient. 2lb Cooking Apples should be done in about 10 - 15 minutes, just over a minute each.

I peel, cut in to four pieces, whip out the core on one piece, cut out any bruises or bugs (although they will only taste of what they have eaten i.e. apple) and then slice them into a pan of water to stop them going brown and move onto the next quarter. It saves picking up and putting down too often. It also saves having too many bits of apple on the chopping board at once.

[savoycabbage]

You need one of those circley-thingys. Dead good they are.

[feedthegoat]

You could peel them and then just use one of those cutters that cores and slices them. Mine was about a pound from wilkos.

[mistlethrush]

I normally quarter, take core out and then peel. However, I do have a Heath Robinson contraption much like that Cogito has linked to - it does work quite well unless the apples are really bruised - but its a faff setting it up, getting rid of the peelings and wipe the counter (and floor) and washing it so its not worth it unless you're mass producing pounds of chutney or apple for the freezer.

[goodasgold]

I like the way the nanny cuts an apple in the film 'the hand that rocks the cradle'.

[AngelDog]

Ooh, I love the links to the cutter. I can put one my mum's Christmas list if nothing else (they have 2 apple trees). :)

I'd not thought of the slicer thing either, so I might invest in one of those while I decide whether to go for the bigger article.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

[4merlyknownasSHD]

Cutter is probably OK, but I was doing stewed apple last night and thought, in view of this thread, to time myself. Without rushing, it was 1 minute and 15 seconds per apple. On the basis of 4 apples to the pound, (not big cookers) that would be 10 minutes for 2lbs. Considerably quicker than Angeldog, but I don't know how that compares to the Heath Robinson contraption.

[eaglewings]

Another vote here for the round cutter that removes core and quarters them. I do that first on about 4 apples then peal them and then cut each quarter into 2

Add frozen raspberries to make it extra yummy

[eaglewings]

Peel not Peal

[stealthsquiggle]

The contraption that CogitoErgoSometimes links to works - I have one which I bought in a sale from Nisbets - this one (I paid

[4merlyknownasSHD]

My 1 minute 15 seconds was to peel, quarter, core and slice. It took a little longer to cut the grubs out.