Question bout apples..

Sheryl · Post by **Sheryl** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 12:14 pm

My husband brought home a large sack of apples last night. We won't eat them all before they go mealy (sp). Anyways they are a great tart apple and I was wondering if you can just slice and freeze them for later use in baking? Or is there a better way to put up apples?

Carl44 · Post by **Carl44** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 12:18 pm

how about cider :-6

Sheryl · Post by **Sheryl** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 12:20 pm

I have no idea hwo to make cider from scratch. I usually just do the packets of dry mix or the stuff already in the bottle.

valerie · Post by **valerie** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 12:26 pm

Stand by 1...

;)

Post by **Bryn Mawr** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 12:32 pm

Sheryl wrote: My husband brought home a large sack of apples last night. We won't eat them all before they go mealy (sp). Anyways they are a great tart apple and I was wondering if you can just slice and freeze them for later use in baking? Or is there a better way to put up apples?

I believe that you have to blanche them first to stop them turning brown

valerie · Post by **valerie** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 12:33 pm

Lucky you with lots of apples!

I have a food dehydarator but you can oven-dry them. you can

freeze if you want, I would use some Fruit Fresh on them first

here is a website: http://www.homecanning.com/can/ALProduc ... 482&P=1055

Have you ever made applesauce? It's really easy, cut up a bunch of apples

with a tiny bit of water and cook them down to sauce!! You can add

cinnamon or whatever you like to taste... seal in Ziploc freezer bags they'll

last quite a while...

I get a lot of things out of my book "Stocking Up" (How to Prserve the

Foods you grow Naturally) it's 30 years old but you might be able to

find it in the library, it's by the editors of Organic Gardening and Farming.

valerie · Post by **valerie** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 12:36 pm

If you want, I can get you an apple cake (or pie) recipe and that uses

up some and you can also freeze whole pies...

Cider is easy, just juice the apples and let it stand!! But beware, hard

cider can go "through you" quite easily!!

;)

Sheryl · Post by **Sheryl** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 12:39 pm

Thanks all for the helpful links. Valerie I'd love some recipes for apple pies and cakes. I usually just make baked apples or apple crisp.

As to the dry mix, it's like the dry hot chocolate mix. :wah:

Marie5656 · Post by **Marie5656** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 12:42 pm

How cool do your winters get there? If the nights especially get cold, put the apples in a cold, dry place. They will keep for quite a long time. But then again, that may be easir said than done in Texas. Up here, no problem, we just kept them in our garage.

Marie5656 · Post by **Marie5656** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 12:43 pm

Oh, one more thing. You can make apple sauce. Freeze it flat in quart size zip lock bags. You will have it for a long wile, and keeps in little space.

valerie · Post by **valerie** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 12:53 pm

Here's my pie crust recipe, from an earlier thread:

Flakey Foont Pie Crust (From EAT IT by Dana Crumb and Shery Cohen)

3 C. Flour

1/8 tsp. salt

Blend in 1 1/4 C. shortening until like meal, then fork in

1 egg, beaten

1 T. vinegar

4 T. cold water

Mix the dry ingredients and with 2 knives or a pastry blender "cut"

in the shotening until the flour and the shortening look like lots of

little flour peas (lumps, etc.). Now mix all liquids and slowly add to

the dry ingredients, mixing well. Use your hands to mix. Ball! Roll out

half for the top and 1/2 for the bottom crust. Put some flour on a hard

surface and roll out pastry. Cold dough is easier to use, and floured rolling

pin and hands are nice, too. For prebaked pie shell brush the crust with

milk or egg white to keep it from getting soggy.

To use oil rather than shortening (this is what *I* do!) use 3/4 cup oil.

Gang, I don't know why they say cold dough is easier, I've always found

just room temp works great for me, and I've been making this since

1972!!

Enjoy, and wow your guests with this!

And for the apple filling:

5 0r 6 cups sliced apples (some leave peel on, I don't)

2 teaspoons lemon juice

3/4 to 1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons butter

Line a 9 inch glass pie plate with pastry. Fill with sliced apples.

Sprinkle lemon juice, sugar, and cinnamon over apples. Dot with

butter. Cover with top crust. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 50 to

60 minutes.

-----------------------------------------------

Apple Hill Cake

Combine 2 cups sugar

1/2 cup oil

2 eggs

Add: 4 cups diced apples

Sift together: 2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

2 tsps cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

2 tsps soda

Add to apple mixture. Pour into a greased 9X13 cake pan and bake

for 1 hour in preheated 350 degree oven.

Yummy!!

;)

sunny104 · Post by **sunny104** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 1:33 pm

Apple butter!! :yh_drool

I stole this for you...

Apple Butter is an American Classic. It is a lovely spread for bread, crackers and as a dip for fruits. Nothing tastes better than a slice of piping hot bread, fresh from the bread maker, spread with a heavy covering of Apple Butter.

Ingredients:

15 or so medium sized tart apples (four or five pounds) - Macintosh are nice.

4 cups apple juice or cider

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

2 cups sugar

Wash, core and quarter apples. It is not necessary to peel the apples. Place the apples in a large kettle or Dutch oven along with the juice or cider. Bring to a boil then cover the mixture and simmer for about 30 minutes, making sure to stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Now press the mixture through a sieve or a food mill. Return about 10 cups back to the Dutch Oven. Stir in sugar, and spices (and everything nice). Bring to a boil and then reduce heat yet again. Leave uncovered and over very low heat cook for about one and a half hours until mixture is very thick. Be sure to stir periodically and frequently to prevent burning on the bottom.

Here is the canning part: Spoon apple butter into hot, sterilized canning jars (pint or half-pint do nicely). Leave 1/4 inch head-space. Wipe rims and adjust lids. Place in a boiling-water canner for 5 to 10 minutes (5 minutes for half-pints, 10 minutes for full pints from the time the water begins to boil). Carefully take jars from canner and allow them to cool on racks. The result is about 4 pints. So double up on recipe for bigger batches!

K.Snyder · Post by **K.Snyder** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 2:00 pm

If I had the same delemna I think I would make an apple pie, but then freeze it until I wanted to eat it.

(Although Ive never actually made a pie -- First for everything)

Sheryl · Post by **Sheryl** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 2:06 pm

oooh I love Apple butter sunny.

thanks for the recipes Valerie. I'm gonna try them out. The apple cake sounds absolutely wonderful!!

chonsigirl · Post by **chonsigirl** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 2:07 pm

Oh, apple butter, that is yummy!:)

Patsy Warnick · Post by **Patsy Warnick** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 2:40 pm

I haven't had apple butter in ages - I was wondering if anyone still made it or even knew about it.

OK - jar it up and mail it out, now that you have everyone hungry

Patsy

K.Snyder · Post by **K.Snyder** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 4:11 pm

Pinky wrote: I second jimbo on the cider!

Cider doesn't agree with my stomach....

too much acid.

Patsy Warnick · Post by **Patsy Warnick** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 4:14 pm

Great idea with the ziplok bag. Why didn't we think of that ?

Patsy

Carl44 · Post by **Carl44** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 1:26 am

K.Snyder wrote: Cider doesn't agree with my stomach....

too much acid.

how about you just drink cider and leave the hallucinogenic drugs alone:wah: :wah:

Marie5656 · Post by **Marie5656** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 6:47 am

Hmm..a question for the apple pie bakers here. Can you make up a big batch of apples for the filling of the pie and then freeze it in individual baggies? Or would they not freeze well because they are not cooked yet??

Post by **Bryn Mawr** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 11:05 am

Marie5656 wrote: Hmm..a question for the apple pie bakers here. Can you make up a big batch of apples for the filling of the pie and then freeze it in individual baggies? Or would they not freeze well because they are not cooked yet??

Why not cook it first and then freeze it? When baking the pie start the filling from below room temperature so that it's fully heated through as the pastry is cooked.

Nomad · Post by **Nomad** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 12:58 am

SnoozeControl wrote: Speaking of ziplock bags, I was just reading that they work great for squishing and mixing up the yolks, mayo, etc when making deviled eggs and you can snip a bottom corner off to squeeze out into the white half.

Whoever invented plastic bags is a genius.

Thanks sneezer

It was one of my 1st inventions. I was just toying around really. I was actually tring to carve a marble statue and voila ! Ziploc bags :-6