Preserving apples

[nuttycyclist]

Twenty years ago I recall spending hours in the garage with my old Granddad wrapping all the apples we'd picked off his trees in paper and stacking them individually in pallets.

Today I buy apples in the supermarket, and if I don't eat them within a week they are all mushy/soft/rotten.



I'm in the unfortunate process of a house clearance, and the apple tree in the garden is windfalling like mad.  I haven't the time at the moment to pick everything and make cider (as I want to).

Do I pick and put the apples in the garage and hope they don't rot, or am I wasting my time?  Will they be edible later?



Does anybody else have apple trees?  What do you do with the excess crop?

[Gattopardo]

Yep cool and in the garage will be fine.

[nuttycyclist]

What paper to wrap them in?  Where to get it?  and I recall he had pallets that had individual depressions for each apple...



Do I need to go round any remaining greengrocer here, or supermarkets, and try to blag their discarded trays off them?

[Biggsy]

With some of the apples at least, you could have a go at drying, after slicing, them.*

Or make apple pies and freeze them.  (I remember a top chef saying he uses eating rather than cooking apples).

Or make apple-and-other-fruit jam or chutney.

Or juice them.

*

[Gattopardo]

What paper to wrap them in?  Where to get it?  and I recall he had pallets that had individual depressions for each apple...



Do I need to go round any remaining greengrocer here, or supermarkets, and try to blag their discarded trays off them?

Last lot I did, just left them in a out house with no heating and were in wooden crates and the dimples paper from a supermarket.  I just went in everyday bought something and nicked two bits of the dimpled paper.

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

If you're going to store them whole, make sure there's a gap between each one and the next.

[rafletcher]

Some apples keep, other don't, and the length of time they keep will vary. Depends on the variety. And on the prior handling - I find a lot of supermarket fruit is roughly handled (by staff and cusomers) and the incipient bruising mars the fruit in a short while. I've no idea if cider apples keep - but then is the tree you have a cider apple variety?

We take a lot of cooker windfalls from our neighbours this time of year. Most we make into apple sauce using the microwave, and then freeze, some go in to apple and apple&balckberry pies. This year we'll be getting some eaters as well, and though they can be treated the same way, I think we'll try some apple flans (a la Francais).

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

I have a recipe for apple and almond cake which is very easy to make and freezes well.

[Wowbagger]

Much depends on the variety of apple. I think a general rule of thumb is that the later the variety, the denser the flesh and the longer they will keep. Also, of course, by definition because they are a late variety you are generally storing them in cooler conditions.

Last weekend at Mildenhall, the lovely Nutkin provided a large bag of Discovery apples which a few of us chomped at the time. However, Discovery is an early variety and not really a "keeper". I brought the rest home with me. We've been eating them regularly but Mrs Wow has stewed some. The flesh doesn't pulp much like Bramleys for example, but they taste lovely - more like stewed pears than apples. Once stewed they can be frozen.

[rafletcher]

Of cousre you can do baked apples for a dessert too - a memory of childhood with the apples cored and stuffed with butter, brown sigar and sultanas, then baked in the oven.

Instead of stewing I dice the flesh small-ish, put in a Pyrex 2pint jut with a plate as a lid, and microwave on full power for 4-6 minutes depending on variety - Bramleys go in 4 mins, eaters need longer.  Add a knob of butter, pinch of salt and a bit of sugar, beat with a fork until desired consistency.

I think I may also do some fried apple rings with some pork later in the month.

[L Hedley]

We pick wild plums locally and this year I tried making the plum leather from the Rivercottage handbook/preserves.  I know you can make it with apples and blackberries too. It is amazing, takes ages to cook mind but it ends up like a posh and much healthier version of the fruit winders. Great for putting in a rack pack for some energy. Inbox me if you want to know how to make it!