19 Nov Apple (Intro)

An apple a day keeps the doctor at bay
so never, ever throw one away!
Stew them, bake them, or eat them whole,
They are oh so very good for the soul…..

In a good year these precious fruits are prolific in the UK. If you grow your own they are easy to store and will last for a few months, a basic method is to wrap them in newspaper and store them in a cardboard box but make sure they’re not touching or they will go bad. If you are feeling extravagant you can go out and buy a proper apple storage unit for your garage or shed, problem solved!

If you have some in your fruit bowl that may have seen better days or there are just too many hanging around peel, core and slice a few and stick them in your freezer, you can use them in smoothies or to make an apple pie or apple sauce at a later date. You could even cook them first then freeze them when cooled. My dad’s favourite is a heap of stewed apple on his porridge so my mum always keeps a bowl in the fridge!, delicious! Cookers or eating apples are fine just adjust the sugar to taste.

If you have a huge abundance as I often do at my allotment, I give stacks away, make loads of apple pie, have stewed apple with everything, throw them into salads, in with sausages, even soup and then when it’s getting closer to Christmas I make pots of Apple Jelly, you can add any flavour to it, present it nicely and voila you have a beautiful hand made gift, better then the shop brought stuff any day. Chilli, Lavender, Thyme, Rosemary, Mint, the world is your oyster. They are great with cold meats, in sandwiches or on toast and always go down a treat with a cheeseboard. Perfect.

Apples are great in a compote with other fruit, fresh or dried or they make a good base for chutneys. A versatile fruit if ever there was one, This year I even tried my hand at fruit leathers which are dehydrated fruit, they are a delicious and healthy snack any time of the day!

See recipes  in Waste not Want not section….