Making the most of our apple tree!

Mazzy_2

We moved house 3 months ago, and there's a huge apple tree in the garden which is absolutely bursting full of apples which we are hoping to make use of. They are baking apples from what I can tell. We are on a very tight budget with food, so hoping that some of you have ideas for recipes to use up the apples, but would like to keep it healthy as possible as DH has high cholestrol and we are all trying to get our weight down and eat healthier too, so don't really want to be adding loads of sugar or pastry. I'm not asking a lot am I?

For anyone else with an apple tree, is it best to let the apples drop, or pick them off? We do have a visiting squirrel so don't want him nibbling them all before we can get to them!

Wasn't sure if this was the right forum, so apologies in advance, and please could a mod move it for me if it needs to be somewhere else? Thanks.

Here's a photo I've just taken, can anyone confirm them as being Bramleys?


Most of them are green, but a few have a pinkish tinge to them:

moonrakerz

Mazzy wrote: »

We do have a visiting squirrel so don't want him nibbling them all before we can get to them!

If the squirrel wants to eat ALL of them you must let it ! If not, the RSPCA will be after you !!

Callie22

Have a google for apple sauce recipes - you want an American one rather than a UK one for Roast Pork, although they're all fairly similar. There are quite a few out there that have very little sugar in them, and depending on what kind of apples you've got you could probably reduce it even further and add flavour with spices, or vanilla, or whatever you want. There are even recipes with no added sugar, that use apple juice instead (I know there's sugar in that too, but you're not adding refined sugar IYSWIM). This can then be preserved in jars (this will be a fiddly bit, but if you get it right you'll have loads of preserved apple sauce) or you cen freeze portions.

You'll then have loads of apple sauce which you can use as a dessert with yogurt, or even eat plain (I do!)There are also loads of recipes (again, lots of US ones, Allrecipes.com is a gret site) where the apple sauce is used in baking instead of butter or oil. You get a lovely moist cake/pudding/muffin etc that's low in fat.

I'm not sure about when you pick the apples though as I've never been lucky enough to have an apple tree, although I'm watching my neighbours with jealousy!

Mazzy_2

moonrakerz wrote: »

If the squirrel wants to eat ALL of them you must let it ! If not, the RSPCA will be after you !!

:rotfl::T

Callie22 wrote: »

Have a google for apple sauce recipes - you want an American one rather than a UK one for Roast Pork, although they're all fairly similar. There are quite a few out there that have very little sugar in them, and depending on what kind of apples you've got you could probably reduce it even further and add flavour with spices, or vanilla, or whatever you want. There are even recipes with no added sugar, that use apple juice instead (I know there's sugar in that too, but you're not adding refined sugar IYSWIM). This can then be preserved in jars (this will be a fiddly bit, but if you get it right you'll have loads of preserved apple sauce) or you cen freeze portions.

You'll then have loads of apple sauce which you can use as a dessert with yogurt, or even eat plain (I do!)There are also loads of recipes (again, lots of US ones, Allrecipes.com is a gret site) where the apple sauce is used in baking instead of butter or oil. You get a lovely moist cake/pudding/muffin etc that's low in fat.

I'm not sure about when you pick the apples though as I've never been lucky enough to have an apple tree, although I'm watching my neighbours with jealousy!

Wow, thanks for so many ideas, I really like the idea of using the apple sauce in baking, or even eating it straight out of a jar, lol, thanks so much for your help! :T

stsarina

They're really delicious stewed and added to curries as well. Also, I recently cooked a pork, apple and parsnip stew in the slow cooker which went down really well with the daughter and husband.

One of my favourite desserts is baked apple - simply remove the core, fill with raisins and sultanas and wrap in tin foil then bake until soft. Have fun cooking!

As regards when to pick them, when they're ripe they will come away easily from the branch with a gentle twist. If you have to wrench them, they're not ripe, and by the time they fall from the tree they tend to be over ripe and will bruise and spoil easily.

vix0112

Have you thought about selling them to a local organic food shop or somewhere like that?

sarah1972

vix0112 wrote: »

Have you thought about selling them to a local organic food shop or somewhere like that?

My neighbour approached our local organic shop and they said that they are not allowed by law to buy them from people because we cant prove that they have been grown organically. :eek:

Mazzy_2

stsarina wrote: »

They're really delicious stewed and added to curries as well. Also, I recently cooked a pork, apple and parsnip stew in the slow cooker which went down really well with the daughter and husband.

One of my favourite desserts is baked apple - simply remove the core, fill with raisins and sultanas and wrap in tin foil then bake until soft. Have fun cooking!

As regards when to pick them, when they're ripe they will come away easily from the branch with a gentle twist. If you have to wrench them, they're not ripe, and by the time they fall from the tree they tend to be over ripe and will bruise and spoil easily.

Yum, I like the sound of the baked apple! :T Thanks for the heads up on when to pick them, also.

Mazzy_2

sarah1972 wrote: »

My neighbour approached our local organic shop and they said that they are not allowed by law to buy them from people because we cant prove that they have been grown organically. :eek:

Oh for heaven's sake! :mad:

TravellingAbuela

Lucky you! I do lots of foraging in the summer months but have yet to find an apple tree in the wild!. I have to buy the apples I use to accompany my foraged berries/fruit. My favourite recipes include Blackberry & Apple pies, Blackberry & Apple Jam, Sloe & Apple Jelly, Bilberry & Apple Jam, Mint Jelly (using apples). Blackberry, Apple & Elderberry Chutney, Beetroot chutney (includes apples) Rowanberry & Apple Jelly. Google any of these and lots of recipes will come up.

Mazzy_2

TravellingAbuela wrote: »

Lucky you! I do lots of foraging in the summer months but have yet to find an apple tree in the wild!. I have to buy the apples I use to accompany my foraged berries/fruit. My favourite recipes include Blackberry & Apple pies, Blackberry & Apple Jam, Sloe & Apple Jelly, Bilberry & Apple Jam, Mint Jelly (using apples). Blackberry, Apple & Elderberry Chutney, Beetroot chutney (includes apples) Rowanberry & Apple Jelly. Google any of these and lots of recipes will come up.

I don't think we have any berries in this garden, though in the last house we did, lol, will keep checking though, when will berries start to show? Thanks for all the lovely ideas, like the sound of the blackberry and apple jam! :T


Have just put a photo up for ID of the apples, lol, and it's huge, sorry about that, not sure how to make it smaller, but hoping that someone can ID the apple.