You can eat anything you like...

[smokingboot]

As long as it's an apple.

This is an old end of town, and high up too. But though we are very near the hill of gibbets, and the ancient wood, and though Sauron's tower dominates the skyline, this place has no evocation of anything more subtle than long ago dairy farms. Hip deep in ghosts it ain't, especially our back yard, which has nothing in it except three trees all tangled together. One is a mountain ash, one is a corkscrew hazel, and one - the star of the yard - is an apple tree. I have seen our neighbour use her broom to hoick* one of the branches round and pluck a couple. No problems with her scrumping, there's plenty to spare and, as our kitchen can currently testify, the tree is generous. Every carrier bag in the house is stuffed with its gifts. We are apple rich. And the question is...

Well exactly. Apple wine? sounds complex and we don't have the equipment. Maybe next year. Cider? same. Crumble? Done it last night, the apples are grand cookers and it tasted great. But we have loads left, and there's now a pond of stewed apple lurking in our freezer. Chutney? We did that... it's a pungent exercise, but by the end it looked and smelled terrific. Now it's sitting there in six sterile little jars, where we have to leave it for 2/3 months.

And still we have apples. They will not keep till Halloween. Jam sounds nice, but apple is such a delicate flavour, what can you put it with that won't swamp the taste?

*Possibly not a word.

Comments

[caffeine-fairy.livejournal.com]

Oo, oo, I know this one, having scrumped extensively from bibliogil's garden this year.

Apple and balsamic vinegar jelly. Either chop the apples or smush them with a hammer (my god it's satisfying), boil for about 45 mins until mushy. Strain through a cloth. measure out the juice, you'll need a pound for every pint. Boil at jam point (106 degrees C) for ten minutes, then add a quarter of a pint of balsamic vinegar for every pint of juice. Boil for another five minutes. Pour into sterile jars.

It takes a couple of days to set, it taste amazing. I made it as an accompaniment to meat but we've just been eating it on toast.

Also, cider is way easier than it looks if you have the space. Mash apples. Stick in bucket. Ignore for 6 weeks. Strain.

[romney.livejournal.com]

For jam, perhaps you need to think of the apples as a base for something stronger and more special. Can you source some quince(s)?

[caffeine-fairy.livejournal.com]

Oh, also

http://cookwitch.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/apple-crisps.html

[caffeine-fairy.livejournal.com]

And that should obviously read "a pound of sugar". D'oh.

[squeezypaws.livejournal.com]

My mum makes clear apple jelly - boils them into mush, drains them through a muslin (no poking else it goes cloudy) then she jams it up with sugar and possibly pectin?? dunno not a jammer.

It's really lovely, pretty clear and orange it goes nicely with ham in a sandwich or chuck a jarful over a gammon in the oven.

[thalinoviel.livejournal.com]

Apple & blackberry jam. Dried apples. Apple turnovers. Tarte tatin. More chutney. You can substitute about 2/3 of the fat in cake recipes with applesauce. Grate it into coleslaw. Grate it and fry it in with mince to make a lighter dish where the meat goes further.

We have an apple tree too :)

If all else fails take them to the park & feed the squirrels.

[jfs.livejournal.com]

Don't have an opinion on apples, but hoick is _so_ a word.

[smokingboot.livejournal.com]

Oooh, these sound lovely, as does the jelly...time to experiment!

[smokingboot.livejournal.com]

Alas, no! It's a shame as I love quince cheese and jelly...

[smokingboot.livejournal.com]

Well now, that sounds lovely. Hmm. Where does one get muslin for this kind of thing?

[smokingboot.livejournal.com]

Wow, lady of resource or what? :-)

I was actually considering an upside down cake, but I fear it, because it requires more than rudimentary skill. This idea about creating a lighter mince with apple is very interesting, does the apple have to be fresh? Cos my problem is sorting this out before they all go off...

[smokingboot.livejournal.com]

I have never seen it written, and am trying to work out whether it is legit slang. Then I look at what I've just written and try to work out whether it even counts as English!

[jfs.livejournal.com]

The OED lists it as slang, dating back to 1898, occasionally spelled hoik but more often as you have it.

Both P G Wodehouse and George Bernard Shaw have used it in anger. I think you're in good company :-)

[romney.livejournal.com]

You *could* chuck in some qince cheese/paste into the jam! And no peeling tbe quinces which I understand is a bit fiddly if you want to actually end up with some quince at the end...

[thalinoviel.livejournal.com]

I have only ever done it with fresh apple but if I were going to freeze the apples I would grate them, mix in a bit of lemon juice to stop them going brown, spread them out thinly on a sheet of foil & freeze them, then put the frozen grated apple in a freezer bag or box.

Apple upside down cake hasn't worked for me but I know a good recipe for apple oatmeal cake. It's quite healthy so totally justifiable.

1. Choose your mug. Big mug = big cake.
2. Put 1 mug of sugar, 1 mug of milk (or soymilk) and one mug of oatbran in a bowl. Mix & leave to soak overnight.
3. Next day, preheat the oven to 200C grease & line a cake tin.
4. Once the oven is hot add 1 mug chopped apple, 1 mug self-raising flour and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon into the mix. Stir well, put in tin, bake. Time will depend on size & shape of cake.

If you like you can use dried fruit or dried apple pieces for this cake. Put the dried fruit in at step 2 so it has time to soak.

[smokingboot.livejournal.com]

Aieee! Lamentation!

Tried cookwitch's apple chips tonight, I have made burnt crispy wafers cemented to the greaseproof paper.

Methinks a slightly thicker cut next time.

[smokingboot.livejournal.com]

I might trek up to Borough Market, see if they have any quinces, and try this out.

[smokingboot.livejournal.com]

I am going to try that oatmeal cake, thanks for the recipe x

Excellent company:-)

[smokingboot.livejournal.com]

On checking it out via some online dictionary, I was mildly amused to see it defined as the verb 'Yank'.