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What can I do with A LOT of cooking apples.

35 replies

HelloThereObiWan · 31/07/2022 20:02

This year the big apple tree has got carried away when growing and has produced hundreds. The little tree that hasn't produced any fruit for a few years has decided to join in the action and produced a good crop as well.

My neighbours have their own apple trees so whilst I might be able to palm off a few to friends and family it's going to be tricky.

So what can I do with them all? My kids don't like apple pie and I don't want to spend money on cider making equipment. Anyone got any tips / recipes etc? They are starting to fall off the trees so I need to get thinking!

OP posts:
Orangesarenottheonlyfruit · 31/07/2022 20:06

Apple butter (sort of like a jam, lots of recipes on the internet)
Chutney
Apple curd (like lemon curd but even nicer, keeps for a couple of months)

madroid · 31/07/2022 20:07

Stewed apple
Stewed apple in custard and whipped cream
Apple tart
apple cake
Apple charlotte
baked apples
apple and peanut stuffing
apple juice
apple celery and walnut salad
apple crumble
apple flapjack

Can you tell we had a lot of apple trees? Mostly I stewed them and put them in the freezer and brought them out through the winter. Great for lowering cholesterol and organic + no food miles!

PMAmostofthetime · 31/07/2022 20:07

Apple sauce! I love apple sauce.
X

Heathofhares · 31/07/2022 20:08

We take ours to a pressing place. We pay to have it bottled and pasteurised and then it lasts all year. It works out cheaper than buying good juice and we prefer the taste of the juice as it is not so sweet. Although the pressing place does offer to blend our juice with something sweeter if we want.

Orangesarenottheonlyfruit · 31/07/2022 20:10

Oh and Apple mincemeat ready for mince pies! You feel like a culinary goddess making mine pies with your own mincemeat, or else makes great presents.

newtb · 31/07/2022 20:14

You can bottle them in kilner/le parfait jars.

britneyisfree · 31/07/2022 20:14

@Heathofhares what would someone type into Google to find a pressing place!!

Welshrarebitontoast · 31/07/2022 20:17

Chutney. Great with a cheeseboard and if you make some now they’ll be nicely matured for Christmas - if you wanted some easy presents.

JudgeRindersMinder · 31/07/2022 20:19

I ended up just cutting and freezing a load of mine last year-it was my 1st year in a house with trees so watching this with interest!

JudgeRindersMinder · 31/07/2022 20:20

@britneyisfree Ibe just googled “apple pressing my town” and got some results

JennyForeigner · 31/07/2022 20:28

Our local community garden collect ours and the rest of the villages. You get excellent cider back :-)

Even better, the rest of the cider is sold and goes to supporting the community including toddler groups so we benefit two ways.

HelloThereObiWan · 31/07/2022 20:31

Brilliant thanks. It didn't occur to me I could possibly get them pressed elsewhere!

OP posts:
Soscrewed · 31/07/2022 20:42

We have a place locally that makes cider. They give you x amount of cider back per weight of cider. It's not loads qs they sell it, but better than them going to waste.

kateandme · 31/07/2022 20:46

Apple strudel
toffee apple
potato salad
Norwegian apple cake
cobbler
crumble
Tarte tatin

Heathofhares · 31/07/2022 21:00

If you are in the south east Ringden Farm are good

lastminutedotcom22 · 31/07/2022 22:01

Heathofhares · 31/07/2022 20:08

We take ours to a pressing place. We pay to have it bottled and pasteurised and then it lasts all year. It works out cheaper than buying good juice and we prefer the taste of the juice as it is not so sweet. Although the pressing place does offer to blend our juice with something sweeter if we want.

Oooh where's this please? X

lorisparkle · 31/07/2022 22:23

Our bramble is already producing copious amounts of blackberries so I would be making many many jars of blackberry and apple jam! I have 8 jars already to label up for Christmas presents!

MercuryOnTheRise · 31/07/2022 22:30

I feel your pain. Most of mine go to an organic cafe at work (profits go to charity - they have an apple press).

But:
Apple Amber
Eves Pudding
Tarte au Tatin
Baked apples
Some lightly stewed and frozen
Also a pork hotpot with apples, cream, mushrooms and tarragon.

The damsons and plums the birds usually get first - you have to be there in a flash and I've never bothered to net.

Any ideas for rhubarb - we have so much of it every year.

TheBermudaTriangle · 01/08/2022 03:45

I freeze loads of chopped apples when we have a glut, ready for apple crumbles and pies etc in the winter.

fallfallfall · 01/08/2022 03:55

core and quarter and pop in the freezer as is. they brown a bit but not really an issue when cooking.
more work but apple sauce freezes well.

LateMumma · 01/08/2022 04:43

We do alot of the above, and on a bumper year put them in a tough tub in front of the house with a a note inviting people to help themselves. They always end up going and we get loads of lovely messages telling us how they've been used Smile

coodawoodashooda · 01/08/2022 08:27

LateMumma · 01/08/2022 04:43

We do alot of the above, and on a bumper year put them in a tough tub in front of the house with a a note inviting people to help themselves. They always end up going and we get loads of lovely messages telling us how they've been used Smile

Good idea!

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 01/08/2022 15:15

If anybody does want to make apple chutney, I always used to use Rose Elliot's recipe when we had an apple tree (sadly deceased now). Fairly easy, keeps well, tastes good.

1.4 kg/3lbs each of apples (cored, peeled, roughly chopped) and onions (topped, tailed, peeled, roughly chopped) - both weighed before preparation, but you don't need to be too precise with these quantities
450g/1lb sultanas
700g.1.5 lbs dark soft brown sugar (e.g. muscovado)
600ml/1pt malt vinegar
25g/1 oz ground ginger
1tbs table salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Put all ingredients in a large, deep, solid-based pan, stir to mix, and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to the point where it's just simmering, and leave to simmer uncovered for 1.5-2 hrs, stirring occasionally, until mixture is very thick and no excess liquid appears when it's parted with a wooden spoon. Spoon into warmed, sterilised jars and put lids on immediately. Label when cool. Keep in a dark cupboard. I would say this chutney needs at least a month to mature. Keeps for months and months.

Obviously you can scale the ingredients up or down depending on how many apples you have to get rid of. I'm sure it would be fine with other kinds of vinegar and maybe soft light brown sugar or Demerara instead of soft dark brown if that's what you happen to have in. I used to buy the cheapest cooking onions I could find, e.g. from the market. Raisins or mixed fruit would work instead of just sultanas.

(Just to add, the smell of spicy vinegar and onions is very bracing! I love it, my husband loathes it. I try to make this on a day when I can leave the kitchen door open.)

Heathofhares · 01/08/2022 18:39

@MercuryOnTheRise
Any ideas for rhubarb - we have so much of it every year

rhubarb tarte tatin is amazing
no need to precook the rhubarb just lay it out on the caramel. If you add some syrup off a jar of preserved ginger to the caramel it’s even better!

BarrelOfOtters2 · 01/08/2022 20:12

We had loads of plums last year, froze a lot but also put a message on Facebook and left at end of drive for people to pick up.

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