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Questions About Preserving & Using Apples
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Posted by psittacinejungle z 5 (My Page) on Fri, Nov 13, 09 at 11:02
| In past years, I made fresh cobblers/pies, apple pie jam and then dehydrated the remaining apples that we couldn't manage to eat fresh from the Fuji tree. This year after thinning a minimum 75% of the dime-sized apples off the tree, I ended up with a huge amount of apples!
So far I've bottled up many firsts for me: applesauce, Craisin Studded Apples, cherried applesauce and apple plum jam. Who'da thunk home canned applesauce would taste so much better than store bought!
I don't have allot of freezer space left but can cram in enough apples for a couple of pies/cobblers. Was considering bottling up plain apple slices in just extra light syrup, since I'm diabetic and 'count carbs'. Putting slices in plain water seems like it would dilute the apple flavor? I could use unsweetened apple juice, since I'd be adding carbs w/the sugar syrup anyway. How well does texture keep when not using sugar? Can a decent pie/cobbler be made from bottled apple slices?
Really, I just don't know what I'm going to do with so many apples. Would anyone care to share favorite recipes - either for canned, canning or fresh use of apples? Would truly appreciate suggestions. |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Questions About Preserving & Using Apples
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| Using the unsweetened apple juice would be my choice. The water would dilute them. The lack of sugar isn't going to effect the texture of the slices one way or another but you will need Fruit Fresh or such to keep them from darkening. It is quite easy to make a pie or whatever from canned apple slices, just thicken and sweeten (try Splenda) to taste at baking time. It won't taste the same as if you used the sugar syrup but you likely already know that. Sadly we can't have it all. ;) Dave |
RE: Questions About Preserving & Using Apples
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You can dehydrate applesauce too and make fruit leather from it.
I agree with Dave, can the apples slices in juice. Don't limit it to apple juice. What about cranberry apples, orange apples or white grape? I think the cranberry would be beautiful in the jar. Red liquid with lighter apples floating around in it.
Bundle that with a pie crust mix and instructions and you got "Apple Pie Kits".
Or, you can get clearjel and make the pie filling right in the jar. Apple Pie Jam (for gifts?)
Press some into cider (can or freeze).
And keep dehydrating.......you can always use these later for many of the same things! Deanna |
RE: Questions About Preserving & Using Apples
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| Most of my "spare" apples go into the cider press and I freeze the cider, it takes less room, LOL. I agree with canning the slices in apple juice, I canned some in light syrup and they just weren't very "apple-y". when you want to use the slices, just thicken the syrup, dump the apples back in and voila! Pie filling. I make a nice apple maple jam with maple syrup and sugar, but it would be easily adjusted for Splenda or Equal if you wanted to give it a try. I also make sugar free apple butter for Elery's Dad, he loves the stuff. I just use my regular apple butter recipe, cook it down in the crockpot and add sweetener to taste just before jarring it up. Annie |
RE: Questions About Preserving & Using Apples
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| It's good to know that the texture won't be affected using apple juice instead of a sugar syrup. As for color retention, I do use Fruit Fresh, or grind up some plain vitamin C tabs. Haven't been able to locate any clearjel around here yet, but it wouldn't be hard to add thickener when a jar is opened. I would think a one quart jar of apple slices would be enough to make a nice pie or cobbler for two. I made Craisin Studded Apples (a take-off of BBB's Apples Studded with Dried Cherries & Raisins) just a few days ago. It was the first I've done with sliced apples. The slices were like little balloons, each trying to be at the very top of the heap.. their cells loaded with air. I did expect this because the chunks do the same in the sugar free apple pie jam I make. When I got to loading up the final jar, I had only two-thirds to three-fourths the amount of fruit for it as compared to the other 7 pints. I don't suppose it is permissible to load up the fruit into all the jars to the correct head space first, then add the liquid to the correct head space in all, and then putting them into the canner as they are capped? Okay, Okay! I think I heard all the NO!'s ...It'd certainly be nice to be able to get the fruit more evenly divided, though. Does anyone manage to come out more evenly, and if so, how do you do it? Apple Pie Kits.. what a great idea to go with the Apple Pie Jam for gifts! AND... Annie, I did a search for Apple-Maple Jam and found the one you've posted in the past. I add my "Thanks!" for taking the time to do that. It sounds delicious and I plan on making a nice batch of it. I guess the only way I'll find out if I'll use more dehydrated apples or bottled apples is to do them both this year and keep track of them. I'll end up dehydrating allot more apples than usual, but that is pretty darned easy to do with that neat apple peeler, corer slicer gadget and the Excalibur dehydrator! Anyone have recipes for using dehydrated apples?? |
RE: Questions About Preserving & Using Apples
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| I don't suppose it is permissible to load up the fruit into all the jars to the correct head space first, then add the liquid to the correct head space in all, and then putting them into the canner as they are capped? Sure you can as long as we are talking about a normal canner load of 6-7 jars and you work quickly. That's were another set of hands comes in handy - assembly line. ;) Anyone have recipes for using dehydrated apples?? Our favorite is Dried Apple Pie - grew up on it as kids eons ago. You can also use them in all sorts of baking, fritters, quick breads, muffins, hydrate and fry with pork, dried apple and raisin bread pudding, stew them, etc. 100's of uses for dried apples. Dave |
RE: Questions About Preserving & Using Apples
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| I agree, you can pack the apples, then add the liquid, not a problem. What to do with dehydrated apples? How about an old fashioned apple stack cake. My husband is from Tennessee, the tradition was that when someone got married, everyone brought a layer for the cake. The more layers, the more popular you were, I guess, LOL. Anyway, this is his mother's recipe for Apple Stack Cake using dehydrated apples for filling. I use 9 inch round cake pans to bake the layers. Apple Stack Cake 6 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup molasses
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk Sift together flour, soda, baking powder, salt, ginger and cinnamon. Cream shortening and sugar; add molasses and mix well. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in vanilla. Add buttermilk alternately with flour, mixing well. Place dough on floured surface. Work in enough flour to make it easy to handle, but not stiff. Divide dough into 9 portions; shape into balls. Place 1 ball in greased 9-inch round pan. Press dough with hand evenly over bottom of pan.
Bake at 350 degrees 15 to 18 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly before removing from the pan.
Continue the same process for each ball of dough. Same pans may be used again but grease each time. Stack layers with apple filling (below). Store cake in airtight container or wrap at least over night to for best flavor and moisture. Cake freezes well. Filling 1 pound dried apples
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon Wash and cook apples in water until tender. Drain then mash well; mix with sugars and cinnamon. Annie |
RE: Questions About Preserving & Using Apples
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| That Apple Stack Cake is next on my list to make! But, Annie could you please explain how to 'wash' dehydrated apples: "Wash and cook apples in water until tender. Drain then mash well; mix with sugars and cinnamon." |
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