Apples ... what do do with them?

[Pitchounette]

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You can store apples through the winter.

Get some of those trays they have in the greengrocers and lay them in those. Make sure that they are cleans and dry and intact - none going moldy or with anything living them.

Store in a cool dark place where there are no mice.

cook and freeze - no problem at all.

Stew cookers with a small amount of water, freeze in a bag inside a plastic box - once solid you can pull bag out of box and reuse the box - square shapes are easier to stack in the freezer than the bag itself ime. Can then use for crumbles - or make crumble and freeze as crumble - this also works well.

eaters - my grandad always wrapped them in newspaper and stored in a single layer in the garage, kept for months this way if you check them and pull out any that have gone bad.

you could also sell them at the gate, or give away to neighbours/work maybe

You could turn the cookers into muffins, cakes etc. and then freeze them for future pudding emergencies. I've got a big bag of apple and date loaf slices in my freezer and I my 1yo DS loves snacking on it.

Cooking apples - I stew some and freeze if for using in crumble / pie / apple sauce etc. I also make 3 or 4 apple loaf cakes which freeze really well too..

Eating apples - I check them for signs of damage, wipe them with dry kitchen towel, wrap them im newspaper then store them in single layers in boxes on a shelf in my understairs cupboard! Sounds like a faf, I know, but they keep really well (and at about £1.50 for a bag of apples at the supermarket imo it's best to keep as many as you can! )

I make apple butter. Chop apples (no need to core or peel) and simmer with water. Put through sieve. Put back in saucepan. I add 1/2 lb of sugar for each 1 lb of pulp and throw in lots of cloves and cinnamon stick. Bottle nad use like jam. Great for tarts too and also as apple sauce for pork. Even good for gammon joints.

Also make apple jelly and sole and apple jelly.

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I'll post my recipe up this evening It's well nice!

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yes you can peel, chop and freeze, no cooking neccesary

\we freeze stewed apple in bricks as PandG sugegsts

will be stealing recipe for apple butter too - have always wished for an apple jam recipe and this migth do it.

I peel, slice and freeze in zip-lock freezer bags with the other ingredients for pie filling. Then, in the winter, I just throw the bag contents into a pie crust and bake. I'm always pretty pleased with myself then!

If you don't have a freezer (we don't) I bottle apple puree/chunks for pies in the winter - very easy, can post instructions if anyone wants them.

I have the most magic gadget in the entire world (slight exaggeration only) here which peels, cores and slices the apples ready to use and is amazingly quick and easy. (Mine came off ebay & was cheaper than the one in the link.)

Apple ketchup is also nice, easy to make and good with pork sausages in particular.

Grated apple in scones is very good (substitute for some of the liquid, make a big scone round rather than little scones).

Apple and date loaf

Ingredients

350g/12oz self raising flour
50g/2oz soft brown sugar
5ml/1 tsp cinnamon
2.5ml/half tsp grated nutmeg
pinch of salt
1 large cooking apple, peeled, cored and chopped
175g/6oz stoned dates, chopped
grated rind of half a lemon
2 eggs, lightly beaten
150ml/quarter pint of plain yoghurt

Mix together the dry ingredients, then stir in the apple, dates and lemon rind. Make a well in the centre, add the eggs and yoghurt and gradually mix to a dough. Pour into a greased 900g/2lb loaf tin and bake in a preheated oven at 160C/325F/Gas Mark 3 for 1.5 hours until well risen and golden brown. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

Oh, and make sure you wash the mixing bowl as soon as the dough is out of it, because it sets like cement and is a right PITA to clean

not really gardening - but anyone made damson j am? do you get lots of bits of skin in it like other kinds of plum jam?

I make an apple cake from one of the Nigella books, its lovely too.

This is a great apple cake - excellent with custard -
recipe here.

It's not my recipe BTW, but it's great and always well received!

- Things to do to keep them -

Apple Jelly

Dried apple

Make lots of apple sauce and freeze it, or simply stew them with only a very little bit of sugar and freeze them in little boxes so you can defrost only what you need.

Or my MIL's tip is to stew them in lemonade instead of sugar as it helps the apples keep their colour.

- Other things to do with apples -

Apple Snow

Apple syllabub

Baked apple - Core it, put in raisins / figs / dates, a little brown sugar if they are quite tart, and a bit of optional rum/ brandy. Score apple right around. Bake at about 180 / 200 until cooked juices are running out. Serve on its own or with custard. Yum!

Apple pie

Apple fritters / apple tempura - yum!