Please tell me I can freeze apples without peeling and coring them!

Louisa_2

Our little apple tree in the garden has produced a bumper crop this year and I have a large basket of apples to freeze. I am quite short of time at the moment as have 3 boys to look after (3 year old, new baby and hubby ) and so really really hope that I don't need to peel core slice stew and cool all these apples. Is some kindly os'er going to come along and tell me that there is a much simpler way of storing them ? (please please let there be) Thanks in advance.

MRSMCAWBER

Hi there

If you have somewhere cool -you can wrap each apple (make sure there are no bruises etc) in a sheet of newspaper and store in a box..they should store for quite a while.
Im not sure I would try and freeze em whole -i imagine they will go mushy when defrosted

affordmylife

ive got tons of apples to peel at the moment and im gradually doing some every couple of days.

its very time consuming but also will be worth it when we can tuck into apple crumble in december and january.

just do a bit at a time but i think it has got to be done.

good luck.

Louisa_2

Mrsmcawber- I didn't know that you could store them like that, thanks for the tip. I agree that freezing them whole sounds a bad idea- plus we've only got a small freezer so it would definitely be a no-no. <covetous of chest freezers emoticon>

affordmlife- what do you do with them once peeled cored and sliced? Do I actually need to stew them or can I just freeze?

buxtonrabbitgreen

Hi Louisa, I have frozwn them just peeled cored and sliced, but they seem to go brown whilst they are defrosting. They taste ok but don't make your apple pies look very appealing. So this year I am slowly peeling my way through a load and stewing them into pie or crumble or sauce size portions. Yes it is time consuming.
Most years someone I know gives me 2 carriers full of damsons which all have to be stoned. But none this year. I don't know whether to be pleased or not. I love damson jam, but finding the time for everything is difficult. My oh knows now not to pick me anymore apples until the day before my day off from work.
We have put the unripe tomatoes in a box with some apples and they are ripening th etomatoes nicely. So that's a few out of the way for now.

whatatwit

Buxton, why do you stone the damsons if you are jamming them. The stones float & can be skimmed off

Westywoodpecker

Despite giving away to all & sundry I was still left with a black bin bag of baking apples :eek:

I've now managed to peel & stew them all & they are in the freezer. I have to say they are not taking up that much room, & it gave me a feel good factor that we can have apple pie/sauce/crumble for months

(I'd forgotten I could use them to ripen tomatoes, thanks for that :j )

avinabacca

Hey Louisa, depending on type (if you know the variety, google it and see what the experts say) you may well be able to store them until well into 2009.

Make sure you have totally undamaged apples selected, give them a quick wipe-over and check for creepy-crawlies, and then put them away in a cool, dark place - I find that they keep pretty well in paper bags (or better, the dimpled cardboard they display the apples in at the market, if you can get hold of that) stored in cardboard boxes for a few months.

Don't put them anywhere liable to frost - they'll freeze, go rotten, and you'll lose the lot. Likewise, make sure you check the stored apples over every couple of weeks. Any rotten/damaged ones? Bin 'em, before they can infect the rest.

One rotten apple really does spoil the barrel, you know......

Hopefully then, the only apples you'll need to peel, core and use immediately are the slightly-iffy ones - I'm assuming you'd have done those anyway!

Happy munching

rockie4

I ploughed my way through a huge bag at the weekend, all nicely stewed and in the freezer.:D

This morning I got a text from my friend who I'm meeting for lunch to say she is bringing me a HUGE bag of apples from her tree :eek: :eek: I think we'll be having apple crumble until this time next year.........

moanymoany

Damson jam - dh broke a tooth on someone's hm damson jam - not mine! I would always stone them.

I know what you mean about the apples. What I did with the last batch I had was to wash them, core them and cut them roughly with peel on. I then cooked them and whizzed them with my hand held.

There were one or two bits of peel, but overall it worked well. I would certainly do it again. You might give it a try with a few and see if you like the result.

ravylesley

Having just spent two days I can so associate with this thread:o

Whilst its not the best job in the world it has to be done though:mad:

I did freeze crab apples whole at the beginning of the season but they were just for jelly making and when defrosted they were soggy.So if you are intending to use the apples for jam/jelly making then go ahead and freeze whole otherwise peel,core and cook before freezing

Lesleyxx