Ideas for apples - eaters and rubbish keepers

[Islay]

I've got to find a use for pounds and pounds of eating apples, which have proven themselves to be rubbish keepers. Can I use them in place of cookers and perhaps just add some pectin for jellies and things?

They're red skinned and slightly pink fleshed, and fairly uninspiring to eat (woody), but my mother insists on growing them as they are so pretty...

[Annpan]

Get a juicer

I am missing my fresh apple juice this year... neither ours, nor the neighbours apple trees pollinated this year I usually have several carrier bags full to work through in a day or 2 as they are mostly damaged. I cut off the bashed bit and the rest goes in the juicer (sometimes with a carrot and a small piece of ginger.... yummm)

[Muscroj]

yup, juice them or make cider!

I don't see why you can't use them with the cookers, just won't need to add as much sugar

[Odsox]

Of course you can use them as cookers, you will probably find they keep their shape when cooked rather than disintegrate.
In fact the best apple pies are made from a mixture of cooking and eating apples, and the French always use eating apples for pies, tarte tatin etc.

No need to add pectin either as apples are full of the stuff.

[Millymollymandy]

I have never used a cooking apple in my life and I bake loads of things with apples - and you don't need to add ANY extra sugar. Why British people insist on using sour apples which then need unhealthy fattening sugar adding is beyond me.....

Why not just make some stewed apple for the freezer then you can eat it later on whenever it suits (or with roast pork) or to put in a crumble.

[Muscroj]

apple & blackberry jam?

[Muscroj]

chutney!

green tomato chutney uses apples in it!

[mrsmiggins]

Apple pie filling! I use any sort of apple, even crab, for apple pies and freeze it for later (if I don't eat it all first!)

[Odsox]

Why British people insist on using sour apples which then need unhealthy fattening sugar adding is beyond me.....

Maybe it's because a Bramley apple has a far superior flavour to most eating apples (when cooked) and also they will store far longer than an eater without refrigeration.

[Islay]

Thank you - I'm just off to try to use up all the windfalls, then I'll start actually picking them. I'll let you know what's successful...

[mrsmiggins]

I have never used a cooking apple in my life and I bake loads of things with apples - and you don't need to add ANY extra sugar. Why British people insist on using sour apples which then need unhealthy fattening sugar adding is beyond me.....

Why not just make some stewed apple for the freezer then you can eat it later on whenever it suits (or with roast pork) or to put in a crumble.

I don't think it's all British people! I don't use much sugar (if any), and I use all sorts of apples, it depends on personal taste I suppose. I also add a sweeter fruit into a pie if the apple is a bit too tart. I'm all for using up whatever is available

[Islay]

So far I have only made a test batch of jam (apple and plum), but they taste delicious! Added less jam than the recipe called for, and it's absolutely gorgeous. Also, due to the silly pink apples and purple plums, it's almost fluorescent pink

[red]

another vote for juicing them - you can hire presses etc from homebrew shops

we are pressing at the mo - have elderberry&apple and apple wine on the go.. lots of apple juice, and more to come.

also - you could make cordial, and jelly... i really like spiced apple jelly

[Millymollymandy]

Why British people insist on using sour apples which then need unhealthy fattening sugar adding is beyond me.....

Maybe it's because a Bramley apple has a far superior flavour to most eating apples (when cooked) and also they will store far longer than an eater without refrigeration.

I wouldn't know about the superior taste as my memories of other people's cooking with apples in the UK are that everything was too sour, ! Mind you that goes for crumbles and all fruit pies too. I like sweet desserts and only have started to like crumble since I started making it myself - but I don't need to add any sugar to my apples which taste wonderful! I'm not sure how you can compare the taste of something sweet with something sour.

[red]

Why British people insist on using sour apples which then need unhealthy fattening sugar adding is beyond me.....

Maybe it's because a Bramley apple has a far superior flavour to most eating apples (when cooked) and also they will store far longer than an eater without refrigeration.

I wouldn't know about the superior taste as my memories of other people's cooking with apples in the UK are that everything was too sour, ! Mind you that goes for crumbles and all fruit pies too. I like sweet desserts and only have started to like crumble since I started making it myself - but I don't need to add any sugar to my apples which taste wonderful! I'm not sure how you can compare the taste of something sweet with something sour.

i think its fattening sugar whether its naturally in the apple or you added it. although some think fructose is a better sugar... not sure about that one.

the great thing about bramleys is that they cook down to a mush.. so the best for making apple sauce etc. other apples stay whole - which is great for somethings (i prefer apple pie and crumble with whole pieces of apple rather than sauce), but if you want a nice tart apple sauce to go with roast pork, you can't beat a bramley.

and yes.. they keep better and dont attract so many wasps