Ideas for Cooking Apples

[Farmer_Gyles]

I've been offered cooking apples from a neighbour and a friend - 2 whole trees worth
I'll be peeling, slicing, freezing loads for pies and crumbles through the winter, but I want to do more for jars - I have loads of jam jars and uncle bens jars with the pop tops, so will be good to use them

Apple sauce - if i make that up and put it in the jars, how long will it keep? Do I need to use wax paper lids as well??

There's a recipe on here for apple and tomato chutney - will make some of that - how long will that sort of thing keep in jars?

Any other ideas???

[pdblake]

Apple jelly, apple wine. Not tried either myself but intend to once the apples are ready

[Farmer_Gyles]

from what i've read, better using eating apples and crab apples for the wine (and cider!) - will be making both this year as i have an ordinary apple tree in my garden and it's loaded as usual

[shirlthegirl43]

Apple chutney:

Recipes vary so I am listing the one which states cooking apples.

Ingredients:

2lbs cooking apples
2lbs brown sugar
1/2 lb raisins
1 1/2 pts malt vinegar
1/2 lb green ginger (or 3oz bruised root ginger)
1 tablespoon mustard seed
1 oz garlic
few blanched almonds and small chillies
salt to taste

Method

Peel, core and rough chop apples. Tie spices in a muslin bag. Put all ingredients in pan, simmer gently for about 1 hour or until the mixture thickens. Remove muslin bag, then pot and seal.

(Recipe from 'Let's Preserve it' by Beryl Wood)

[shirlthegirl43]

Apple Jam (from the above book)

Ingredients:
Cooking apples
preserving sugar
water
whole cloves

Method:

Peel, core and thinly slice apples; weigh and put in pan with small quantity of water and 2 cloves per lb of fruit (tie cloves in muslin bag); cook gently till apples are tender; remove from heat, cool, remove bag of cloves; put fruit through liquidiser or sieve; return to pan with 3/4lb sugar per original lb of apples, stirring till dissolved' boil approx 1 hour until mixture is firm when tested on cold plate; stir frequently throughout and skim as necessary.

[shirlthegirl43]

On the apple sauce front, I freeze mine in plastic pots. Due to very small amount of sugar used it doesn't keep. I think if you have a pressure canner then because it is vacuum sealed it would be okay in jars.

[Bren In Pots]

I make Indian apple chutney using this recipe I've only got 2 jars left from 2006 so I'll be making some more any time now.

[Farmer_Gyles]

cheers for the recipes guys
bren - how do you seal the jars so it keeps that long? do you use a pressure canner thing?? if so, what one?? is it absolutely necessary for stuff to keep????

[Bren In Pots]

Nothing fancy I just use hot sterilized jars with those wax disks under the lids, it must be all that vinegar that preserves the chutney.

[Flummery]

The vinegar and the sugar are both responsible for the keeping qualities of a chutney. Theat's why 'reduced sugar' preserves and pickles just don't work. Hot jars and seal when still very hot - preferably with a vinegar-proof lid (with the sort of plastic underside) will do the trick. I've found 6 year old chutney (that's how often I clean out me cupboards!) and it's still cracking.

[Bren In Pots]

Flum I liked the sound of the rhubarb and orange jelly recipe on your blog so I've got some simmering now.
I did intend leaving a comment but I don't have an account so not sure if it would have worked.

[Farmer_Gyles]

Nothing fancy I just use hot sterilized jars with those wax disks under the lids, it must be all that vinegar that preserves the chutney.

will old jam jars (sainsburys own brand) / uncle bens sauce jars / dolmio jars etc be ok? they all have a plasticy type underside to the lids - will that be ok? or do i need to use wax paper or something too??

[Bren In Pots]

I hope someone answers who knows what you're supposed to do.

Me I use any old jars so long and they are clean and sterilized, my fave ones for size are from Aldi's hot dog sausages that we eat when camping. They've got the plastic under the lid and I then use wax disks as well.

[annacruachan]

from what i've read, better using eating apples and crab apples for the wine (and cider!) - will be making both this year as i have an ordinary apple tree in my garden and it's loaded as usual

Bramley apples make excellent wine, though a few crabs to each gallon will add a certain something. It has quite a punch too!

[rustylady]

will old jam jars (sainsburys own brand) / uncle bens sauce jars / dolmio jars etc be ok? they all have a plasticy type underside to the lids - will that be ok? or do i need to use wax paper or something too??

They'll be fine as long as they're clean and sterile. I sterilise my jars in a low oven (stood on a wooden board). The lids I just use boiling water. The one thing you do need to be careful about is that sometimes the lids retain the smell of the previous contents (mint sauce esp, and picallilli). OK to use for further chutneys, but I put blackberry jelly in one last year and gave to daughter-in-law. Son said the jelly tasted fine, but you got a distinct whiff of vinegar when you took the lid off.