Bramley apples & raiding the forest!

always29

Afternoon all! Hope tis not as grey and dull as it is here where ever you are!

Anyways, popped down to the in-laws yesterday and the lovely MIL will never let us leave empty handed so now have a large carrier bag full of bramley apples from their garden sitting in my kitchen (suspect will be repeated over the next few weeks!)

Am not a big one on sweets but do like chutneys, jams etc so figured there must be something I can do with them! There must be loads of things but all inspiration seems to have deserted me! I live quite close to Epping Forest so vaguely thinking of having a bit of a forage for brambles or something but think that it might be a bit late - could there be something else I could keep an eye out for? Have had a look through the indexed threads but can't see anything about seasonality of stuff etc.

Your combined enormous resourcefulness will am sure help!

Thanks!

floyd

I made apple and ginger jam yesterday using a Mrs Beetons recipe, tried it this morning and it is delicious. It has quite a strong ginger flavour but it isn't firey because it uses crystallised ginger. Will post the recipe if you would like it
I used eating apples but Bramleys will work a treat

always29

Ooh, Floyd, that'd be fab if you could post the recipe! I always have ginger in the fridge (it's the spice fiend in me, can't not have garlic / ginger /chillies in!!).

Toonie

There are still some blackberries around in the Forest (I live quite close to it as well). I saw some a couple days ago in Loughton and Buckhurst Hill (if you are near there).

Otherwise, I chop up apples to add to pork stews (diced pork in a casserole dish in the oven with carrots and any other veg) served with chunks of crusty bread is very nice.

floyd

1.5kg/3 1/4 lbs apples
25g/1oz fresh root ginger (bruised)
30ml/2tbsp lemon juice
100g/4oz crystallised ginger, chopped finely
1.5kg/3 1/4 lbs sugar, warmed in oven
*I also added a few shakes of ground ginger

-Peel, core and chop the apples but save the peel and cores to put in a muslin bag with the bruised ginger root.
-Put the apples in a heavy based pan with the muslin bag, 600ml/1 pint water and lemon juice.
-Cook over a low heat until the fruit is pulpy (I pummeled the muslin at regular intervals with a wooden spoon to get as much pectin out as possible)
-Take out the muslin bag and squeeze it to extract all the goodness into the fruit pulp.
-Add the crystallised ginger and warmed sugar and stir over a low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved.
-Bring to the boil and boil rapidly until you reach setting point (mine took 11 mins but I used eating apples so test early with a cold saucer)
-Skim off any scum and pot into hot jars.

Recipe from The Concise Mrs Beetons Book of Cookery

tomterm8

always29 wrote: »

Afternoon all! Hope tis not as grey and dull as it is here where ever you are!

Anyways, popped down to the in-laws yesterday and the lovely MIL will never let us leave empty handed so now have a large carrier bag full of bramley apples from their garden sitting in my kitchen (suspect will be repeated over the next few weeks!)

Am not a big one on sweets but do like chutneys, jams etc so figured there must be something I can do with them! There must be loads of things but all inspiration seems to have deserted me! I live quite close to Epping Forest so vaguely thinking of having a bit of a forage for brambles or something but think that it might be a bit late - could there be something else I could keep an eye out for? Have had a look through the indexed threads but can't see anything about seasonality of stuff etc.

Your combined enormous resourcefulness will am sure help!

Thanks!

Don't feel compelled to eat them all at once. We usually stew around 3/4 of our apples, and then put them into individual freezing bags. Along with stewed blackcurrents, one or two carrier bags of apples is the basis for crumbles, pies, tarts, apple sauce for pork etc almost all year.

always29

erm, what does stewing fruit mean? MIL said she always has some in her freezer and, even though am not a bad cook at all, this is another world to me - very much a urban girl til a few months ago and now I am a budding domestic goddess (fingers crossed there must be a MSE baby board and I'll be there!!).

betterlife

ive been given a load and have made apple sauce as my oh and kids love it with roast belly pork, ive frozen it in portions enough for a meal.

Horace

Take the core out, score the skin round the middle, stick a dollop of mincemeat where the core used to be and cook in the oven - serve with cream or ice cream.

If I get given a load, I make the usual pies, turnovers, baked apples but I will stew the apples and then freeze the stewed fruits for use throughout the year.

looby-loo_2

always29 wrote: »

erm, what does stewing fruit mean? MIL said she always has some in her freezer and, even though am not a bad cook at all, this is another world to me - very much a urban girl til a few months ago and now I am a budding domestic goddess (fingers crossed there must be a MSE baby board and I'll be there!!).

To stew apples
Peel and remove the core and any bad bits.
Cut into slices.
Wash quickly and place in a saucepan which has a good fitting lid.
Add one spoonful of water
Turn on heat with lid on pan for 5 minutes. Apples should just boil
Switch off.
Peep inside. The apple should be puffed up and 'snowy' texture.
Whilst still hot stir in sugar to taste - I put in about 2 tablespoons to a pan.
Cool and use or freeze in the plastic boxes from the Chinese takeaway

tomterm8

As looby-loo says. Essentially, you are just boiling the apples (minus skin and core) until they soften, you can go for puffed up and 'snowy' to an almost apple sauce texture, depends on personal preference and what you plan to use it for. Personally, I don't advise sweetening it too much, because how sweet you want the apples depends on what you are making. I prefer sweetening when I actually use the apples for something.

BTW, soft stewed apples with ice cream... delicious, and the easiest pudding in the world