Apples: ideas for eaters

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Apples: ideas for eaters

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Islay

Joined: 11 Aug 2009
Posts: 38
Location: West Sussex

Posted: Wed Aug 19, 09 11:06 am Post subject: Apples: ideas for eaters
I need to find something useful to do with 2 trees worth of very unexciting red apples - they're too woody to enjoy eating really, and are appalling keepers, but my mother insists on keeping them because 'the apples are so pretty'. Any ideas?

marigold

Joined: 02 Sep 2005
Posts: 12458
Location: West Sussex

Posted: Wed Aug 19, 09 11:48 am Post subject:

Apple and blackberry for crumble/pie etc. Freezes well, and if you use lots of blackberries you don't notice that the apples are tasteless. No sugar needed with eating apples, either. You could also use them with other flavourful fruits to make them go further - plums are good, also fresh/dried apricots and blackcurrants. Cooking boring apples with a few cloves and sultanas perks them up too (but pick the cloves out before freezing/serving - biting into one is narsty.

Persuade Mum to keep one tree and sacrifice the other in favour of a nicer variety?

marigold

Joined: 02 Sep 2005
Posts: 12458
Location: West Sussex

Posted: Wed Aug 19, 09 11:53 am Post subject:
If you have a juicer you could juice them with berries or fresh ginger root to add flavour - at least you'd get the vitamins .

OP

Joined: 28 Jul 2006
Posts: 4661
Location: Yorkshire

Posted: Wed Aug 19, 09 11:54 am Post subject:
I agree with Marigold, except I would suggest you get rid of both of them! - find some varieties you do like and plant new trees this autumn. Choose 2 different varieties so that you don't have a glut, and can extend the picking season.

marigold

Joined: 02 Sep 2005
Posts: 12458
Location: West Sussex

Posted: Wed Aug 19, 09 12:01 pm Post subject:

orangepippin wrote:

I agree with Marigold, except I would suggest you get rid of both of them! - find some varieties you do like and plant new trees this autumn. Choose 2 different varieties so that you don't have a glut, and can extend the picking season.

But Islay already said her mum doesn't want to get rid of them - I was proposing a compromise

. The second one can be got rid of in a year or two...

Islay

Joined: 11 Aug 2009
Posts: 38
Location: West Sussex

Posted: Wed Aug 19, 09 2:56 pm Post subject:

Maybe I could arrange for one to meet a tragic end this winter, then she'll have to get something nicer.

Will definitely try juicing - I think there's an ageing juicer kicking around the house somewhere.

Also have grand plans for apple sauce and something involving apples and plums. And apple pie for pudding tonight! I've got about 10lbs, just from windfalls, so any more ideas are very welcome. I'll post my successes and failures later, and put the recipes on my blog.

yummersetter

Joined: 26 Jan 2008
Posts: 3241
Location: Somerset

Posted: Wed Aug 19, 09 3:12 pm Post subject:
grafting or budding onto the trees you have? Tell your mother your bringing the apples friends to visit

nettie

Joined: 02 Dec 2004
Posts: 5888
Location: Suffolk

Posted: Wed Aug 19, 09 3:33 pm Post subject:
You could try palming them off on a local free range pork producer in return for a pack of chops or two, a much tastier idea I reckon!! My pig farmer neighbour is always on the scrounge for apples.

Islay

Joined: 11 Aug 2009
Posts: 38
Location: West Sussex

Posted: Wed Aug 19, 09 9:03 pm Post subject:

I like your thinking Nettie!

I've just made a test batch of apple and plum jam with them (very yummy, not too much sugar needed, and hot pink!), and I'm contemplating making a load more and then trying to find someone with a decent vegetable plot and offering them some tasty pink jam in a bit of a bartering session. Lots of people round here seem to have neglected/enormous veg patches which are left largely to their own devices.

gz

Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Posts: 8679
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland

Posted: Wed Aug 19, 09 10:05 pm Post subject:
possibly identify the variety and see what its characteristics/uses are supposed to be?

Islay

Joined: 11 Aug 2009
Posts: 38
Location: West Sussex

Posted: Mon Aug 24, 09 12:20 pm Post subject:
When asked for further information on what type of apple it was, my mother confidently responded, 'a pink one'. Hmmm.... I managed to preserve about a bushel of apples (around 42lb), so I'm pretty proud of myself! If anyone else is looking for inspiration, there's lots of recipes on my blog (address in signature) and a couple more to come later on!

gz

Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Posts: 8679
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland

Posted: Mon Aug 24, 09 1:25 pm Post subject:
you're near enough to Brogdale to ask....

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