Hit me with your apple ideas please!

[confusedofengland]

I have been given a big bag of cooking apples by a kind friend. So today I am planning a day of cooking & baking to use them up, but I am rather short on ideas! I am a decent cook, but not a great baker, so the simpler the idea the better.

So far I have made apple & blackberry crumble. I am going to make a pork cottage pie for tonight & was thinking about this cake www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/apple_sandwich_cake_28507 but then I am stuck! I have also wondered if I can just peel, core & freeze some apples for crumble, but not sure about that!

Any ideas gratefully received

Eve’s pudding (very easy)
Baked apples
Apple snow
Winter fruit compote (apple blackberries plums dates raisins pears in any combination)

Baked oats for the next few mornings or stew them and add to porridge with cinnamon and sultanas.

The winter compote is nice for breakfast with Greek yoghurt.

I have an apple tree and I do cook and freeze portions ready for winter crumbles etc: with brown sugar and cinnamon (plus berries if available). I've never frozen raw I must say.

Ive done the same as PP. Stew them in spices and brown sugar and divide up into portions for crumbles and porridge.

Or you could make windfall chutney? It's delicious with ham at Christmas time.

Ive made that BBC apple cake and it was lovely!

I just made spiced apple butter (which is a kind of jam really) from some of my glut, very easy and doesn't involve peeling and coring. I also froze some peeled chopped apples for future crumbles, just tossed in sugar then frozen in bags.

I've never frozen raw before but been told you can do it so giving it a go as texture not a problem as my apples turn to mush when cooked anyway.

I second making chutney. They are also an ingredient in mincemeat if you fancy making your own.

Another one with a glut. I've made some chutney (more on the way), apple and almond cake (gluten free, so good if required for guests), crumbles, apple sauce (for fresh and frozen a couple of batches). I've also done a few batches of "apple pie filling", which is basically apples, sugar, cinnamon and butter. Delish warm with Greek yog or ice cream.

Typically, neither child will eat anything with cooked apple in, eldest will very occasionally take one into school. I've always got a bowl on the side staring at me goading into reminding me I need to do something with them, we've got loads stacked up in the garage as an experiment to see if they'll keep over winter, plus nearly a whole tree still full. I accost everyone I see asking if they need apples, but seeing as we live in Somerset, everyone has an apple tree lol.

Just remembered something - a friend of mine takes them to a place which makes them into juice. Delicious!

Last night I made a toffee Apple brioche custard pudding!

Really quick too.. I chopped some apples, cooked them on the hob with some golden caster and butter, then put them into individual ramekins. Made up some custard (I used powder as it was just a quick weeknight pudding thing) and then pour a layer on top of the apples. Then layer on top of that some cut up brioche, again I just used store bought as I had it in, and then poured a little more custard in the middle so that when it goes in the oven you get crispy edges.

Delicious, the kids licked their dish clean :)

Loads of delicious sounding ideas, thank you everybody 😋

@EmmaStone do you have a recipe to the apple & almond cake please? My friend is coeliac & I always struggle with nice things to take to hers!

I love having a stash of frozen, chopped apple pieces in the freezer... so handy for making a quick apple crumble with! I wash and freeze blackberries etc too. I xan then break off a handful of frozen berries and leave the rest in the freezer for another time. Lovely on a miserable winter's night to be able to whip up a quick homemade dessert!

You can make cider vinegar, either with the whole apples or with the cores left over from your baking.

I have a jar “brewing” at this time of year and add the apple cores as I get them. It’s very healthy and good for cooking too.

This is the recipe I used. Unfortunately when I made it last week, I then went on a call with a friend, completely forgot about it and it was burned to toast . You'd think the other 3 people in the house might have
smelt it too, but no...

www.nigella.com/recipes/apple-and-almond-cake

@peakotter I like this idea of apple cider vinegar - presumably I could also use it for next year's chutneys? What do I need to get going, does it stay sterile if you're regularly adding? How long does it take?

I have froze them cut up and raw. They are fine. If you have blackberries growing as well they can also be frozen to go with the apples. The secret is not to wash the blackberries before freezing. I do that when defrosting.

Here’s roughly what I do for apple cider vinegar
www.theprairiehomestead.com/2015/02/how-to-make-apple-cider-vinegar.html

They recommend freezing apple scraps until you have enough to make a jar full, which is probably safer.

It reckons 672hrs and 10min! A few months was my verdict.

I use it for cooking throughout the year and also drinking with hot water. Very healthy stuff.

Oh, don’t bottle and seal until it’s finished fermenting otherwise it explodes everywhere!

@peakotter

Here’s roughly what I do for apple cider vinegar www.theprairiehomestead.com/2015/02/how-to-make-apple-cider-vinegar.html

They recommend freezing apple scraps until you have enough to make a jar full, which is probably safer.

It reckons 672hrs and 10min! A few months was my verdict.

I use it for cooking throughout the year and also drinking with hot water. Very healthy stuff.

Awesome, many thanks!

We have an apple tree at the bottom of our garden so my freezer is currently full of apple crumbles, pies and compotes.
My favourite cake is the bbc Dorset Apple traybake which uses up loads and is delicious.