Apples
Information
- for freshness and quality store your apples in the fridge in a loosely tied plastic bag as this will help to stop them shrivelling up, bring to room temperature before eating
- separate out fruit which is ripening more quickly than the others
- if apples have bruised areas, simply cut off, and grate the remaining apple into salads or cut into wedges and give to children as a snack
- apples are good when added to pickles and chutneys or eaten with cheese and cold meats
- apples can be frozen in slices after they have been quickly cooked in boiling water. Freeze in a single layer, and then pack into bags once frozen. Use frozen apples to make into apple cake or apple sauce
- if you've got a lot of cooking apples, cut them into quarters, core and peel them, to prevent apples turning brown while you're peeling them squeeze the juice of half a lemon into a bowl of water and drop the pieces of apple into it. Drain quickly and pack the apples in freezer bags or plastic containers and freeze. Put the frozen fruit in a pan with some sugar, add a very small amount of water and cook as normal
- peel and chop the apples and place into a saucepan with a little water, lemon juice and castor sugar. Cook gently for about 15 mins, stirring regularly, then whisk or blend until smooth
- when making jam, add one or two apples to the mixture. The pectin in apples helps the jam to set