apple bounty

[uk elephant]

Any of you knowlegeable ladies know how to best store apples? and how long will they keep for? I have "found" a forgotten apple orchard here at work (some abandoned horticulture project) and the apples are free for the taking. They are mostly Cox's, but there could be some other varieties mixed in. And they are absolutely delicious!

And once I've picked them and have time to do something with them, what would you suggest? I already have plans for a batch of apple butter and an apple pie. And I may be able to fit another apple cake in the freezer. Any other suggestions?

[Bron]

Pie...... mmmmmmmm

Storage - a cool, dry, dark place? We have some in our cellar in an open crate so that the air can circulate.

I'm going to peel, core and slice some of mine and put them in the freezer in pie-sized portions so that later in the winter I can make apple pie or strudel quickly. Do you have a freezer?

[uk elephant]

I do have a freezer, but unfortunately it is not very big. I can only fit one or two pie-portions of apples in there I think.

How long do your apples last in the cellar? Would they last for a month? I won't really have time to do much cooking until then...

[Bron]

Ours have been in there for three weeks and are doing fine. We're using the bruised ones first.

How do you make apple butter?

[uk elephant]

mmm....apple butter.....

Peel and core and chop some apples and cook them as you would for apple sauce. Add sugar to taste. Once the apples are soft, mash them up (as mashed as you would like them) and add spices (cinnamon, cloves, allspice) and a bit of port. Then mix it all together and put in a pan in the oven on low heat. Cook for a long time until it thickens (I didn't time it, but it must have been in for an hour at least). Tastes delicious!

[Bron]

Thanks! That sounds great.

[Susan126]

Here is a site with some great information on different ways to preserve apples:

Preserving Apples

I have never preserved apples but if I ever needed to (just in case) I bookmarked the page and even did a print out and placed it inside my recipe book!



Sue