BS: Help! A plethora of apples!

Subject: BS: Help! A plethora of apples!
From: MBSLynne
Date: 07 Nov 06 - 09:58 AM

We have had the biggest apple crop we've ever had this year and I am rapidly disappearing under a mountain of the things. I've frozen some, made apple cheese, mincemeat, we've had every sort of apple dessert...I have several other recipes I want to try but it's not going to make a dent in the total amount. I don't want to waste them. Any suggestions? I'd try cider but without a cider-press it takes too much time to juice them. I'm prepared to try (almost) anything, though preserve-type recipes are what I need most.

Love Lynne

Subject: RE: BS: Help! A plethora of apples!
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 07 Nov 06 - 10:01 AM

Ammunition! Take them down the local park lake. You could get a few geese for Christmas if your aim is good enough!
Quack!
GtD.

Subject: RE: BS: Help! A plethora of apples!
From: bobad
Date: 07 Nov 06 - 10:04 AM

You can dry them to preserve.

Subject: RE: BS: Help! A plethora of apples!
From: Bunnahabhain
Date: 07 Nov 06 - 10:07 AM

Bottle them.

Peel, core, and slice, and cook down with some sugar until they start to break up, and bottle. It is essentially ready made apple pie filling, also very nice on cereal. I'm sure you can think of more.

Alternatively, if you have a cool garage or such like, just store them. Make sure any you're storing are clean, dry, and undameged, and loosely pack them in newspaper, in a box. so long as som air can get in, and it stays dark, they should keep until spring.

Subject: RE: BS: Help! A plethora of apples!
From: MBSLynne
Date: 07 Nov 06 - 10:10 AM

I tried drying them last year but wasn't totally happy with the result. How do YOU do it?

Love Lynne

Subject: RE: BS: Help! A plethora of apples!
From: Mo the caller
Date: 07 Nov 06 - 10:16 AM

Take them to your folk club. If the club supports a charity put out a cup for donations.
I started picking my eaters too late this year,lots fell off, the dance club have eaten all the windfalls, at the rate we eat them the stored eaters will be finished before Christmas.

I've got a plastic bottle on a long plastic stick (narrow pipe) to pick them into , which saves some of the climbing. Cut off end, attatch neck to stick, a notch to trap the fruit stem. If they are ripe they fall into bottle (if not the apples on the same branch fall on your head as you shake the branch). Also useful, 2 sticks with cuphooks (large & small) to pull the branch or twig within reach.

Subject: RE: BS: Help! A plethora of apples!
From: MMario
Date: 07 Nov 06 - 10:21 AM

apple leather. quarter them and simmer with a very little water until tender - put through a food mill or seive to remove skins, stems, seeds and those hard bits of the core. gently cook down until very thick. spread in a thin layer on parchment or greased sheets of paper and dry in a very low oven until leathery. dust with powdered sugar and roll them up into tubes. Can be frozen or stored in a cool, dark, dry space.

Subject: RE: BS: Help! A plethora of apples!
From: Sorcha
Date: 07 Nov 06 - 10:23 AM

Peel, slice, dip in lemon juice. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, then dry.

Subject: RE: BS: Help! A plethora of apples!
From: Paul Burke
Date: 07 Nov 06 - 10:29 AM

Pulp the apples with a coarse squeegee. Add antimony, cinnamon, spermaceti and mussolini, and bake on a low loader for 45 lifetimes. Riddle, add cascara to taste, and set aside.

The result is nearly as good as real drystone caviare, without the mortal anguish.

Subject: RE: BS: Help! A plethora of apples!
From: Paul Burke
Date: 07 Nov 06 - 10:30 AM

Oh, I forgot to add, have you got a date for the 0.25 session yet?

Subject: RE: BS: Help! A plethora of apples!
From: artbrooks
Date: 07 Nov 06 - 10:44 AM

Would you like Jenn's apple chutney recipe?

Subject: RE: BS: Help! A plethora of apples!
From: MMario
Date: 07 Nov 06 - 10:49 AM

*I* would!

Subject: RE: BS: Help! A plethora of apples!
From: NH Dave
Date: 07 Nov 06 - 11:39 AM

How fortunate. Locally we had a cold wet spring so the bees, vital to pollinating the apples didn't get out to do their job, and the harvest is low this year.

Dave

Subject: RE: BS: Help! A plethora of apples!
From: RangerSteve
Date: 07 Nov 06 - 01:33 PM

Here's a quick one that I invented last night:
Peal, core and slice into small pieces four apples (or more if they're small). mix apples with sugar and flour and let set in a covered bowl for about an hour. Unroll a tube of Pillsbury crescent rolls, use your fingers to seal the perforations to make one sheet of dough. Place the apples on one half of the dough to about 1/2 inch from the edges. Fold over the other half and seal. Bake according the the directions on the package. Not quite an apple streudel, but pretty good for somethng that takes no time at all to fix.

Steve

Subject: RE: BS: Help! A plethora of apples!
From: Scoville
Date: 07 Nov 06 - 01:47 PM

Whine whine whine . . . my mother came back from New Jersey and, inspired by my aunt, made a big pot of homemade applesauce and now the storebought stuff just tastes like crap, only apples are expensive here so we're all feeling deprived. I'd do just about anything for too many apples.

Subject: RE: BS: Help! A plethora of apples!
From: MBSLynne
Date: 07 Nov 06 - 01:50 PM

All good stuff!! Thank you.

Actually Art, I don't like chutney, though epn would probably be grateful for Jenn's recipe thank you.

I particularly like Paul's recipe. Paul the .25 sesh is 21st December. A good Yule session I hope.

Love Lynne

Subject: RE: BS: Help! A plethora of apples!
From: GUEST,terrier
Date: 07 Nov 06 - 03:38 PM

MACHINE MART (UK) sell apple presses so I'm informed

Subject: RE: BS: Help! A plethora of apples!
From: MBSLynne
Date: 08 Nov 06 - 02:50 AM

Can't afford to buy one though.....

Subject: RE: BS: Help! A plethora of apples!
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 08 Nov 06 - 03:21 AM

Got a flower press? Got some 2b4, plywood or similar? Use the flower press as a pattern and make your own! My granfer made cider from a home made press on that sort of pattern. Took some skill in getting the screws equal, but it made damned good cider!

If you do manage to make some, throw in a good big double handfull of sloes to the final pressing... makes all the difference!

Failing that, have a look at the 'Christmas on a budget' thread and see what bartering you can do to help!!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Help! A plethora of apples!
From: mandotim
Date: 08 Nov 06 - 03:26 AM

I usually make mint and apple jelly, as well as spiced apple and walnut chutney for Christmas. Sage and apple jelly is good with pork (even better if you can get some quinces to add). You can also make a good Asian style chutney; normal apple chutney recipe, but add sultanas. After the chutney has 'fallen', add shredded raw chillies, garlic, ginger and leaf coriander. Let the whole lot cool down and then bottle. The spices stay semi-crisp, and give a nice 'crunch' to the chutney.
Tim

Subject: RE: BS: Help! A plethora of apples!
From: MBSLynne
Date: 08 Nov 06 - 07:54 AM

Thanks Liz I might try that.

Funny you should say that Tim, I made some apple and quince jelly and thought "This could do with some sage in it", so I stirred some in. Don't know how it's worked yet as I haven't opened the jars.

Not sure about the fruit leather. I made some quince paste, which sounds much the same and it is a bit disappointing.

Love Lynne

Subject: RE: BS: Help! A plethora of apples!
From: Mo the caller
Date: 08 Nov 06 - 08:44 AM

I borrowed an apple press one year (a sort of barrel with slats not quite fitting. You had to spend ages chopping up the apples first.
With the flower press model what's to stop the fruit squishing out sideways?
It's certainly a way of using up lots of apples for not much result.

Subject: RE: BS: Help! A plethora of apples!
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Nov 06 - 11:25 AM

Homemade applesauce:

Use up whatever apples are lying around the house uneaten. Old, new, green, red, tart, sweet, mixtures of different kinds seem to work the best. Don't go out and buy them.

Peel, slice into any kind of big chunks or slices, the more irregular the better. Put in a pot. Put just enough water in the pot to keep the things from burning -- maybe a quarter of an inch deep.
Sprinkle with sugar or fructose, not much, maybe half-cupful for a small pot, perhaps up to a cup for a large pot. Sprinkle with cinnamon and/or mixed pie spice, maybe a teaspoon for a small pot, 2 for a large pot. Don't oversugar or spice, you can always add more later but you can't take it out.

Cover, simmer on low. Check every 10 minutes or so, stir occasionally and add a bit of water if it starts to go 'dry'. When the apples are all soft, take off the heat. Taste and see if it needs more sugar or spice. Smush with a potato masher. Leave some small chunks, it tastes better that way, don't try to get it to be a commercial puree.

This is a great thing to do because you use up fruit which might otherwise go to waste, it makes the kitchen smell great, and you have this treat which doesn't involve getting fat eating pie and strudel.

Subject: RE: BS: Help! A plethora of apples!
From: Schantieman
Date: 08 Nov 06 - 12:29 PM

Stewed apple, much as above, with raisins or similar. Packs and freezes well, great for pies, strudel etc. etc. till this time next year when you can start all over again.

To stop the apple pulp squishing out of the side of the press either

1) wrap up the whole lot of apples in a bag of muslin, old pair of tights (preferably washed) or hessian sack, depending on the scale

or

2) construct it so that the bottom of the press is a tray, with edges an inch or two high. You'll need a hole or several in the bottom too, to let out the juice - or 'mud' as they call it in the trade.

or indeed, both.

Or you can visit your local farm museum with a sackful or five. There's one at Acton Scott near Craven Arms in Shropshire where the apple are crushed by a large circular stone trundled round by a one horse-power, er, horse. The bits still go into a press though.

Steve

Subject: RE: BS: Help! A plethora of apples!
From: MBSLynne
Date: 08 Nov 06 - 02:27 PM

Guest, what do you do with the apple sauce once it's mashed? Bottle it? Freeze it?

Schantieman, open freezing the apple slices on trays and bagging them is quicker and easier than stewing apples and freezing them, and if you've got a bag of frozen slices you can use them anyway you want to, including stewing them.

I keep reading about the American tradition of making apple butter and I've been looking for a good recipe...anyoen got one?

I made cinnamon apple slices today...kind of like flapjacks. They were VERY popular when the kids got home

Love Lynne

Subject: RE: BS: Help! A plethora of apples!
From: Cats
Date: 08 Nov 06 - 05:12 PM

You must have wassailed them well! My trees are only a year old so not big enough for apples yet. Wish you were closer, Lynne. I'd help deal with them.

Subject: RE: BS: Help! A plethora of apples!
From: GUEST,mandotim
Date: 09 Nov 06 - 03:03 AM

Lynne; are you going to Bedworth? If so, I'll bring a fiendish machine for you to borrow. It's a peeler/corer/slicer for apples, and makes slices perfect for drying simply by inserting the whole apple and turning the handle. Dried apple slices with brown sugar and spices are wonderful substitutes for sweets, and dead easy to do, apart from the peeling and slicing; hence the machine, which is incredibly quick. Just dunk the slices in the sugar/spice mix of your choice, and dry overnight on trays in a very low oven. Yummy!
Machine can be seen here
Tim

Subject: RE: BS: Help! A plethora of apples!
From: MBSLynne
Date: 09 Nov 06 - 03:04 AM

We have 20 trees now, most of them too young to produce much though they've all done a good job this year considering. The ones I have in super-abundance are Bramleys from the biggest tree...the first we planted about 10 years ago. They are not like bramleys from the shops..they are red and when properly ripe the green part of the skin goes yellowish. They are nice eaten raw if left to ripen on the tree and when used in cooking, sweet enough to enable you to cut the sugar quantity by a considerable amount.

Love Lynne

Subject: RE: BS: Help! A plethora of apples!
From: diesel
Date: 09 Nov 06 - 05:55 PM

Hi

For recipes - I use a book called 'Ball - Blue book of preserving' Good range of stuff - but would take forever to copytype, however will do a photo-copy to email thing tomorrow if nobody tells the publishers !!!!

If stuck for storage - try this link - Sell all sorts of good jam type Jars. Invest in a box - sell a handful of produce in the local butchers or grocery shop - easily make back the cost of the jars.

http://www.ebottles.eu/

http://www.ebottles.eu/

Will post again tomorrow...

Diesel

Subject: RE: BS: Help! A plethora of apples!
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 10 Nov 06 - 04:47 AM

Flower/cider press method = to prevent the fruit squishing out the sides you "employ"* a small child to run round it with a bucket, scraping it off the sides and slinging it back over the top whilst granfer adds another slat!

He eventually made a box for it to sit in, with an opening at the bottom on one side so it made it easier to get the juice. Trouble is, you have to clean it out really well and dry it or else it warps over the winter and you have to make a new one the next year.

LTS


*bribe with sweeties and a taste of last year's remaining.

Subject: RE: BS: Help! A plethora of apples!
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 10 Nov 06 - 04:53 AM

Actually, I have rather a lot of bay available at the moment - the tree is growing close to a fence which is in danger of falling over, so I need to remove a few branches so we can fix the fence next spring.....

Anyone want some bayleaves? Totally organic, can't do much else with them but make bouquet garni or pot pourri.... Very traditional for decorating houses at Solstice/Yule....

Can deliver in London area... may be able to post leaves to other UK destinations...

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Help! A plethora of apples!
From: GUEST, Topsie
Date: 10 Nov 06 - 05:59 AM

Liz, is the box for the cider press to sit in, or the small child?

(PS I've got loads af bay leaves, thanks.)

Subject: RE: BS: Help! A plethora of apples!
From: GUEST,JP,Barrow upon Soar
Date: 10 Nov 06 - 07:52 AM

Lynne,if you go to Matchless Homebrew in Coalville you can hire a scratting mill and fruit press and make some proper Cider.

JP

Subject: RE: BS: Help! A plethora of apples!
From: MBSLynne
Date: 10 Nov 06 - 11:59 AM

HIRE a press? I never thought of that! And I have used Matchless Homebrew before if it's the one up Belvoir Road. Have to pay to park in Coalville now though!

Don't need to buy jars...we keep all ours for re-use.

Thanks for all this, it's great.

I'm participating in two really nice threads at the moment...the way Mudcat used to be when I first came here. Everyone is being nice, friendly, humourous and no one suddenly being unpleasant for no good reason. Or am I tempting fate here?

Love Lynne

Subject: RE: BS: Help! A plethora of apples!
From: GUEST,pattyClink
Date: 10 Nov 06 - 12:57 PM

Lynne, I never made the homemade applesauce in bulk.   I suspect it would not freeze well, but would 'can' if you put it in sterilized jars and process like you would preserves. Since you're hip deep in apples, maybe try doing a few jars. Maybe also try making some homemade pie filling and putting that up for February strudels or pies.

Apple Strudel

Now this is NOT traditional strudel. Traditional involves a tablecloth size sheet of paper thin dough, marching around the table, all kinds of craziness. This is a cheater's way but it absolutely splendid and actually easier than making a pie.

Mix with pastry cutter or what have you:
2 cups flour
1 cup sour cream
1 cup butter

Form into 2 flattened balls/ellipses, wrap, chill 2 hrs or more.

Roll out with plenty of flour into rectangles about pie-crust thickness, maybe 16" X 10". (or make 4 smaller rectangles if you have no long pans.   

Put one rectangle on a cookie sheet. Spoon 1/2 a can of pie filling down the middle, stopping an inch or 2 from the ends. It will look sparse, but don't worry, it's plenty, DON'T use more.

Gently fold up the sides and pinch together to meet in the middle. Fold up the ends and seal them too.
Get a sharp knife soaked in hot water and slash about every inch, just the center 3 inches or so, don't go out to the sides so the filling will leak. Keep wiping and wetting the knife if it sticks.   Repeat with the other pieces of dough.

Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes. Will get pale to light brown, don't let it get medium or dark brown.

Cool on the pan.

Put about a cupful of powdered sugar in a small bowl. Gradually dribble in small amount of milk until you have an icing. When strudels are cool, drizzle the icing on in a random pattern (it'll coalesce into something that looks good).

When 'dry', take two lifter spatulas and transfer the strudels to your serving trays.

Subject: RE: BS: Help! A plethora of apples!
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 10 Nov 06 - 03:15 PM

How about taking some to a food bank or feeding center. mg

Subject: RE: BS: Help! A plethora of apples!
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 10 Nov 06 - 05:35 PM

If there is a local cidermaker, they may be prepared to press your apples for you and let you take the pulp/juice away (for a price)

Subject: RE: BS: Help! A plethora of apples!
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Nov 06 - 02:25 AM

sauce.steam extract the juice
or boil and strain thru cheese cloth or a strainer

enjoy...

they make these cool crank machines that peel and core and slice
in spiral that are then easy to dry.

good luck

Subject: RE: BS: Help! A plethora of apples!
From: MBSLynne
Date: 11 Nov 06 - 09:12 AM

The strudel sounds great. I had a hilarious time trying to make apple strudel once and said I'd never do it again, but this one sounds a lot easier.

No local cidermakers around here, unfortunately. We're in the worng part of the country.

Food bank? Feeding centre?

Love Lynne

Subject: RE: BS: Help! A plethora of apples!
From: Sorcha
Date: 11 Nov 06 - 09:16 AM

Apple Butter

(about 5 pints)
Wash, stem, core and quarter 4 lbs apples
Cook slowly until soft in
2 cups water, cider, or cider vinegar
Pulverize apples, like applesauce
Add 4 oz (or to taste) caster sugar, brown or white
3 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp allspice
(grated lemon rind and juice, optional)
Cook over low heat stirring constantly until sugar has dissolved. Continue to cook stirring frequently unti the mixture sheets from a spoon. (Rather thick) OR place a dab on a plate and when no liquid surrounds the butter it is done.

Sterilized jars, etc...no processing necessary but I guess you could water bath it for a few mins if you want to.

Subject: RE: BS: Help! A plethora of apples!
From: GUEST,pattyClink
Date: 11 Nov 06 - 11:31 AM

Does your ?? mean 'what is a food bank or feeding centre'?   If so I'll take a stab.

Food banks collect and store donated food for strapped families to come "shop" for what they need, generally non-perishables. So you'd have to find one, and call and ask if apples would keep well enough to sit on their shelves til needed.   Some other operations may emphasize daily 'gleaning' of perishable excess foods from donors or restaurants for redistributiont to charitable facilities, so you might do a local search on 'gleaners' to find such an organization.   Feeding centers, well we have several around town, they serve hot meals to homeless folks or whoever needs a meal. Again you'd have to call, they might be thrilled to get some fresh fruit or they may have a bunch of elderly who don't chomp raw apples and may not have the manpower to transform it into goodies. If you're in a truly rural area, you may not have any of these centers nearby.

One more aside on this, when our farmers around here have excess they simply find a likely spot on a busy road or intersection and sell the fruit from the tailgate of the truck.   If you don't have time to spend days doing that, maybe just for a couple of busy Saturdays? If there already tons of people doing that, drop by with samples and ask one or two if they would like to acquire some of your crop?

Subject: RE: BS: Help! A plethora of apples!
From: MBSLynne
Date: 11 Nov 06 - 03:41 PM

I'm not sure we have food banks here (UK) and if we have feeding centres they would only be in the city I imagine, though I've never heard of them. I live in a village so we definitely don't have them around here. The way the "Health and safety" rules are these days, you probably couldn't give them something like apples anyway...it would all have to be in packets and tins.

Love Lynne

Subject: RE: BS: Help! A plethora of apples!
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 11 Nov 06 - 11:06 PM

It appears you have already wasted most of the lot.

They ALL should have gone into Scrampy.

Don't linger, press the rest into cider for the dark months of winter.

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

Subject: RE: BS: Help! A plethora of apples!
From: diesel
Date: 12 Nov 06 - 12:48 PM

Never got that photo-copy to e-mail thing working, so for tuppence worth is 3 recipes from the aforementioned book...hopefully picked because each calls fro large quantities of apples...enjoy !
Curried apple chutney
(Makes about 10 pints)

2 quarts chopped, peeled and cored apples (About 16 medium)
2 pounds seedless raisins
4 cups chopped brown sugar
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped pepper
3 tablespoons mustard seed
2 tablespoons ginger
2 teaspoons allspice
2 teaspoons curry powder
2 teaspoons salt
2 chilli peppers, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
4 cups vinegar

Combine all ingredients in large saucepot. Simmer until thick, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Ladle hot chutney into warmed jars.


Dehydrating apples
For use later in applesauce, baked cakes, tarts or as simple snacks…

Chose tart firm apples.
Wash peel and core.
Cut into ¼" thick rings.
Pretreat by dipping into boiling water.
Place evenly in low temp oven 130 F.
Depending on quantity, drying may take up to 24 hrs.
Once pliable – vacuum bag them

To re-hydrate barely cover fruit in boiling water, leave 10 minutes serve or use in recipe.


Apple Butter (slightly different from Sorcha's above..)

16 medium apples
4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
¼ Teaspoon cloves

Wash, core, peel and quarter apples.
Combine apples and 2 cups of water in large saucepot
Simmer until apples are soft
Puree using food processor or food mill, but do not liquefy
Measure 2 quarts apple pulp.
Butter;
Combine aple pulp, sugar and spices in large saucepot.
Cook slowly until thick enough to round up on a spoon.
As mixture thickens, stir to prevent sticking
Ladle hot butter into jars.

If butter becomes too thick – just add water or apple juice to suit.


Never heard of an 'apple butter' before - would love to know where to use it....Diesel

Subject: RE: BS: Help! A plethora of apples!
From: MBSLynne
Date: 12 Nov 06 - 03:40 PM

Thanks Diesel. All the recipes I've seen for apple butter so far until that one had cider in, which, unless I can get around to making my own, makes it a bit more expensive than I wanted. I'll give that one a go.

Love Lynne

Subject: RE: BS: Help! A plethora of apples!
From: Mo the caller
Date: 12 Nov 06 - 03:51 PM

How do you make the apple flapjack, Lynne?

Subject: RE: BS: Help! A plethora of apples!
From: Sorcha
Date: 12 Nov 06 - 07:08 PM

Then I guess you missed mine, Lynne! LOL! Basically, like diesels'.

Subject: RE: BS: Help! A plethora of apples!
From: MBSLynne
Date: 13 Nov 06 - 03:07 AM

No I didn't Sorcha, and thanks, but yours had cider in it. It was one without cider i wanted. I might have a go at yours, but probably only in a small quantity.

I'll post the flapjack recipe when I've got time to grab it.

Love Lynne

Subject: RE: BS: Help! A plethora of apples!
From: Sorcha
Date: 13 Nov 06 - 08:31 AM

Smile...well, ya gotta remember, a) it was an OR, and b) cider here is just apple juice unless it is marked Hard Cider.

Subject: RE: BS: Help! A plethora of apples!
From: MBSLynne
Date: 13 Nov 06 - 11:04 AM

Oh I see!! So if I were to juice some of my loads of apples, I could use that as the cider in the recipe? Now THAT sounds good.

Love Lynne

Subject: RE: BS: Help! A plethora of apples!
From: Sorcha
Date: 13 Nov 06 - 11:42 AM

Yup.

Subject: RE: BS: Help! A plethora of apples!
From: The PA
Date: 14 Nov 06 - 09:29 AM

Hi just got to this thread. Re juice, if you dont have your own press there is a chance that your local agricultural college will have one which they may let you use, or do it for you, for a nominal fee. Our college (in Worcestershire UK) does.

Subject: RE: BS: Help! A plethora of apples!
From: MBSLynne
Date: 14 Nov 06 - 01:49 PM

Our nearest Ag college is the other side of the county and I doubt if they have a cidre press. As I said about local cider makers, we're in the wrong part of the country. Thanks for the tip though

Love Lynne