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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To hate being given cooking apples

70 replies

Almondmum · 13/09/2023 06:58

It's that time of year when I'm plagued by well meaning people giving me boxes of cooking apples.

I've managed to stop some of them but the neighbours caught my husband.

I find the chore of peeling and chopping outstrips the benefit of an apple pie or crumble. I don't mind the taste but it's not that exciting. And none of us like baked apples which would be the easy solution. If I chuck them then I feel guilty about the food waste.

Anyone else's heart sink when they see a box of cooking apples heading towards them?!

Or even better, anyone got any extremely easy and tasty cooking apple recipes?

OP posts:

BarnacleBeasley · 13/09/2023 10:21

I don't bother peeling. I have stewed apples for breakfast all winter and do massive batches in the pressure cooker. But for cake, the recipe I have found that you can get the most apples into is the German Apple Cake in Sue Lawrence's Book of Baking: https://desarapen.blogspot.com/2005/03/german-apple-cake.html
You can put up to twice as much apple as she says and it still works.

German Apple Cake

I was so delighted when I discovered that my local library are stocking a lot of my coveted cookbooks. My youngest had their nursery class t...

https://desarapen.blogspot.com/2005/03/german-apple-cake.html

ParentingSolo · 13/09/2023 12:33

I'd be extremely pleased! I love making home made apple sauce and having it with a Sunday roast! (Even though I don't eat pork - I know, we're an odd family). This thread has reminded me to get peeling for an apple crumble actually 🍏

Original poster

Almondmum · 14/09/2023 19:22

Little update, I just got the apple peeler thing and it's an absolute game changer. Tried it out on a couple of apples so I've got some stewing now for my porridge tomorrow. This weekend the whole lot will be done in a matter of minutes.

Thank you Mumsnet!

OP posts:

Hooples · 14/09/2023 19:26

This reminds me of my old next door neighbour growing up - she used to bring a big washing up tub full of these enormous baking apples & give them to my mum. So many, that my mum didn’t know what to do with them all, but my mum gladly accepted them & we’d have apple and blackcurrant pie for pudding very often!

Zanie · 14/09/2023 19:29

I like doing red cabbage with vinegar and cooking apples, but I like mine soft so it need a good stewing. Lovely with a roast.

EmmaPaella · 14/09/2023 19:34

This thread has really made me chuckle because this happens to me every year and I feel exactly the same. The guilt of them sitting there un-crumbled then makes me irrationally grumpy.

Getting the peeler thing.

Original poster

Almondmum · 14/09/2023 19:44

Glad I'm not the only one EmmaPaella, it's something nice but feels like a chore having to peel and chop. The one linked above says discontinued so I got one on Amazon

OP posts:

MaMisled · 14/09/2023 19:46

A new neighbour brought me round a bag, having been asked to take some by a lady whose garden she looked after. Two days later she knocked my door and told me I should have at least made the lady an apple pie!!!

purser25 · 14/09/2023 19:47

When we had lots of plums used to take them to the Dentist Drs and the staff in our local boots who are so nice. Neighbours get tomatoes and other bits

EmmaPaella · 14/09/2023 19:48

Such a chore! I have found one on Amazon too. Maybe I will finally be the sort of person who has homemade stewed apple in their freezer!

EmmaPaella · 14/09/2023 19:50

MaMisled · 14/09/2023 19:46

😂

GnomeDePlume · 14/09/2023 20:05

We make cider - but then we have planted around 70 fruit trees for this purpose!

Original poster

Almondmum · 14/09/2023 20:06

The cheek MaMisled!!

My teenager is very taken with the gadget and the stewed apples so I might need up moaning on here that I didn't even get the chance to eat any

OP posts:

fuckssaaaaake · 14/09/2023 21:01

Mouthfulofquiz · 13/09/2023 07:04

Get one of those nifty apple peeling and coring machines. They’re brilliant.

Pls tell me these also do oranges!

Defiantlynot41 · 14/09/2023 21:23

I made a ton of this last year , was very popular and had some repeat requests

www.talesfromthekitchenshed.com/2022/06/sweet-and-spicy-apple-chutney/

Mouthfulofquiz · 15/09/2023 09:52

I’ll get a big orange and try it later!

Original poster

Almondmum · 15/09/2023 09:54

Make sure you report back! I'm not sure it will work though as it takes a thin layer of skin off so you'd be left with a load of pith I reckon

OP posts:

Mouthfulofquiz · 15/09/2023 17:47

Oh god, I forgot to buy the orange. I’ll do it tomorrow!

STST · 15/09/2023 18:08

Make apple butter! You can condense kilos and kilos of apples into a couple of jam jars.

Wash, core and chop, don’t bother peeling. Load it all into a slow cooker, or saucepan on very low and cook them down to apple sauce. Mash up (or stick blender).

Just. Keep. Cooking. For ages, with the lid slightly off so that the water evaporates. In my slow cooker I leave it going overnight. It just gets thicker and darker and sweeter. Add sugar if you like, but you shouldn’t need it. Cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves…..anything you fancy.

When it gets to the thickness you like, stop. It’s like pure apple jam. Freezes well, add it to yoghurts, porridge, shove crumble topping on it, eat it with a spoon out the jar….

HateMyselfToo · 15/09/2023 18:13

Peel, chop, measure out for the size of your crumble dish and freeze. You can then have crumble any time of year rather than getting sick of it now.

Make portions of crumble in those glass GU desert pots and give to people you know that live on their own and wouldn't bother making a whole crumble for themselves.

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