Preserving (rec.food.preserving) Devoted to the discussion of recipes, equipment, and techniques of food preservation. Techniques that should be discussed in this forum include canning, freezing, dehydration, pickling, smoking, salting, and distilling.

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  #1 (permalink)   Report Post  
Bunny McElwee
 
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Default best apples for jelly

I would like to make some juice for Apple Jelly. I've tried in t he
past, with both regular apples as well as a bottled apple juice. Both turned
out like syrup, not jelly, both used Sure Jell, followed the directions, to
no avail. What are the best type of apples to use for jelly? Most recipes
say xx number of pounds of apples, but they don't say what kind. Some say
sour apples, but do they mean Granny Smith? My grandmothers apple jelly was
always a pinkish/red color, and that would be untrue of a granny smith. She
also says she's always made her jelly from the skins of red apples, hence
the pinkish/red jelly, but can't remember what kind. Can anyone lead me in
the right direction? I understand Red Delicious is not an acceptable choice
since it is not "sour" enough. Any help would be appreciated.

I've had similar issues with Grape Jelly. My problem is I don't live in
an area that has access to Concords, so I can't use them. The only access I
have is to Red Globes (Do not make jelly, but make a pretty sickening sweet
syrup, much to my dismay) Red seedless and green grapes. I've also tried to
make jelly from bottled or frozen concentrates, to no avail. They always end
up syrupy. I've not been able to find one that I can use that will setup
firm like jelly.

Thanks in advance for any help!

--
Bunny McElwee
Event Coordinator & Membership
Lowcountry Miata Club
www.lowcountrymiataclub.net

1991 Mariner Blue with Red & White Stripes
"BlueFlash"


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zxcvbob
 
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Bunny McElwee wrote:
> I would like to make some juice for Apple Jelly. I've tried in t he
> past, with both regular apples as well as a bottled apple juice. Both turned
> out like syrup, not jelly, both used Sure Jell, followed the directions, to
> no avail. What are the best type of apples to use for jelly? Most recipes
> say xx number of pounds of apples, but they don't say what kind. Some say
> sour apples, but do they mean Granny Smith? My grandmothers apple jelly was
> always a pinkish/red color, and that would be untrue of a granny smith. She
> also says she's always made her jelly from the skins of red apples, hence
> the pinkish/red jelly, but can't remember what kind. Can anyone lead me in
> the right direction? I understand Red Delicious is not an acceptable choice
> since it is not "sour" enough. Any help would be appreciated.



Are there any crabapple trees in your area? They should be covered with
fruit right now; I'm planning to pick some over at the water dept. this
weekend if nobody beats me to 'em. I still have too much crabapple
jelly leftover from last year, so I may use them to flavor and color
some mead (it's called cyser when you add apple juice to the honey.)
Use all crabapples or a mixture of crabapple juice and regular apple juice.

[snipped the part about grapes]

I don't know much about making grape jelly, but
(1) you might have better luck with making jam
(2) try finding some wild grapes. It's too bad you can't get Concords,
but what about Muscadines or sour "mustang" grapes?

Best regards,
Bob
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Bunny McElwee
 
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Default

Not that I know of. I've never heard of anyone talking about them and
I've never seen one. I'll ask around and see if anyone has access to them.
In the meantime, I'm still looking for other ways to make Apple Jelly.


As doe the grapes, yes, I do have access to Muscadine and Scuppernog
grapes. I've actually got recipes for Jams for both types, but no Jelly
recipes. My husband only likes Concord, but he knows I can't make that since
they don't grow here. I just recently picked up some Concord juice from his
grandmother in WV, but that won't last long once I make it into Jelly for my
husband. Just sucks that I can't get Concords here. Never even seen them in
the stores.

Thanks very much for the information, I appreciate it!


>
> Are there any crabapple trees in your area? They should be covered with
> fruit right now; I'm planning to pick some over at the water dept. this
> weekend if nobody beats me to 'em. I still have too much crabapple
> jelly leftover from last year, so I may use them to flavor and color
> some mead (it's called cyser when you add apple juice to the honey.)
> Use all crabapples or a mixture of crabapple juice and regular apple

juice.
>
> [snipped the part about grapes]
>
> I don't know much about making grape jelly, but
> (1) you might have better luck with making jam
> (2) try finding some wild grapes. It's too bad you can't get Concords,
> but what about Muscadines or sour "mustang" grapes?
>
> Best regards,
> Bob



  #4 (permalink)   Report Post  
zxcvbob
 
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Bunny McElwee wrote:
> Not that I know of. I've never heard of anyone talking about them and
> I've never seen one. I'll ask around and see if anyone has access to them.
> In the meantime, I'm still looking for other ways to make Apple Jelly.
>
>
> As doe the grapes, yes, I do have access to Muscadine and Scuppernog
> grapes. I've actually got recipes for Jams for both types, but no Jelly
> recipes. My husband only likes Concord, but he knows I can't make that since
> they don't grow here. I just recently picked up some Concord juice from his
> grandmother in WV, but that won't last long once I make it into Jelly for my
> husband. Just sucks that I can't get Concords here. Never even seen them in
> the stores.
>
> Thanks very much for the information, I appreciate it!



Check the instruction sheet in the Sure-Jel box and see if there's
instructions for muscadine jelly. IMHO, it tastes better than concord
jelly.

-Bob
  #5 (permalink)   Report Post  
Melba's Jammin'
 
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In article >, "Bunny McElwee"
> wrote:

> I would like to make some juice for Apple Jelly. I've tried in t
> he past, with both regular apples as well as a bottled apple
> juice. Both turned out like syrup, not jelly, both used Sure
> Jell, followed the directions, to no avail. What are the best
> type of apples to use for jelly? Most recipes say xx number of
> pounds of apples, but they don't say what kind. Some say sour
> apples, but do they mean Granny Smith? My grandmothers apple
> jelly was always a pinkish/red color, and that would be untrue of
> a granny smith. She also says she's always made her jelly from
> the skins of red apples, hence the pinkish/red jelly, but can't
> remember what kind. Can anyone lead me in the right direction? I
> understand Red Delicious is not an acceptable choice since it is
> not "sour" enough. Any help would be appreciated.
>
> I've had similar issues with Grape Jelly. My problem is I don't
> live in an area that has access to Concords, so I can't use them.
> The only access I have is to Red Globes (Do not make jelly, but
> make a pretty sickening sweet syrup, much to my dismay) Red
> seedless and green grapes. I've also tried to make jelly from
> bottled or frozen concentrates, to no avail. They always end up
> syrupy. I've not been able to find one that I can use that will
> setup firm like jelly.
>
> Thanks in advance for any help!


Bunny, you're doing something wrong and I can't imagine what! Some help
I am, huh? I've never had a failure with it. Is it possible that your
grandmother made crabapple jelly? I use Dolgo crabs and the jelly is a
beautiful ruby red. The Dolgo has a bright red skin and it's not very
large.

AFA grape jelly -- we had a big ol' discussion here about grape jelly a
couple three years ago. I was really curious and through the
grapegrowers association (whatever it's called), learned that when the
leaflet says Concord grapes, it means Concord grapes. When I make my
grape jelly, I use bottled grape juice - Welch's unsweetened, I think.
Still have it in the fridge. It set beautifully. And I've made mint
jelly with bottled apple juice as a base -- it set beautifully. I'd use
a tart, at least, apple for jelly, not a sweet one.
--
-Barb, <http://www.jamlady.eboard.com> Updated 9-26-05


  #6 (permalink)   Report Post  
William R. Watt
 
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To make jelly you need three ingredients:
- acid
- pectin
- sugar

Acid fruit is "sour" or "tart". You can't make jelly from sweet eating
apples unless you add some acid like lemon juice. You can make jelly from
"sour" cooking apples or crabapples. The skin contains lots of pectin so
you leave the skin on when mashing up the apples to extract the juice. The
pectin is released when the mash is heated so it has to be brought to a
boil and simmered which also softens the apples so they can be mashed. The
harder the apples the more pectin they contain. I gather some green apples
early in the season to extract the juice to add to other fruit which don't
have enough pectin to make jelly by themselves.

Which brings us to grapes. Wild grapes are sour and contain acid but the
one's I gather don't contain enough pectin to jell so I add some apple
juice. You can also buy commercial pectin at the supermarket and add that
instead.

You can find out all about the chemistry of jelly on the internet.
You read what I learned about it on my website (see below) under "Food".
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  #7 (permalink)   Report Post  
~patches~
 
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Bunny McElwee wrote:
> I would like to make some juice for Apple Jelly. I've tried in t he
> past, with both regular apples as well as a bottled apple juice. Both turned
> out like syrup, not jelly, both used Sure Jell, followed the directions, to
> no avail. What are the best type of apples to use for jelly? Most recipes
> say xx number of pounds of apples, but they don't say what kind. Some say
> sour apples, but do they mean Granny Smith? My grandmothers apple jelly was
> always a pinkish/red color, and that would be untrue of a granny smith. She
> also says she's always made her jelly from the skins of red apples, hence
> the pinkish/red jelly, but can't remember what kind. Can anyone lead me in
> the right direction? I understand Red Delicious is not an acceptable choice
> since it is not "sour" enough. Any help would be appreciated.


I've had good luck with a variety called L-star. I've made applesauce,
applepie filling and will be using them for pectin. I would think they
would make lovely apple juice. IMO granny smith and red delicious are
not near as good varieties as they used to be. I always used granny
smiths for pies but find the L-star much nicer. It is a tart smaller
apple with a yellowish to red blush. The fruit is nice and firm.
>
> I've had similar issues with Grape Jelly. My problem is I don't live in
> an area that has access to Concords, so I can't use them. The only access I
> have is to Red Globes (Do not make jelly, but make a pretty sickening sweet
> syrup, much to my dismay) Red seedless and green grapes. I've also tried to
> make jelly from bottled or frozen concentrates, to no avail. They always end
> up syrupy. I've not been able to find one that I can use that will setup
> firm like jelly.
>
> Thanks in advance for any help!
>

  #8 (permalink)   Report Post  
Melba's Jammin'
 
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In article >, ~patches~
> wrote:

> Bunny McElwee wrote:
> > I would like to make some juice for Apple Jelly. I've tried in

(snip)
> I've had good luck with a variety called L-star. I've made
> applesauce, applepie filling and will be using them for pectin. I
> would think they would make lovely apple juice. IMO granny smith and
> red delicious are not near as good varieties as they used to be. I
> always used granny smiths for pies but find the L-star much nicer.
> It is a tart smaller apple with a yellowish to red blush. The fruit
> is nice and firm.


Have you run across Honey Crisps? Fabulous apple! Developed at my U of
MN. About $11 for half a peck around here!! Lor, they're good, though!
--
-Barb, <http://www.jamlady.eboard.com> Updated 9-26-05
  #9 (permalink)   Report Post  
~patches~
 
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Melba's Jammin' wrote:

> In article >, ~patches~
> > wrote:
>
>
>>Bunny McElwee wrote:
>>
>>> I would like to make some juice for Apple Jelly. I've tried in

>
> (snip)
>
>>I've had good luck with a variety called L-star. I've made
>>applesauce, applepie filling and will be using them for pectin. I
>>would think they would make lovely apple juice. IMO granny smith and
>>red delicious are not near as good varieties as they used to be. I
>>always used granny smiths for pies but find the L-star much nicer.
>>It is a tart smaller apple with a yellowish to red blush. The fruit
>>is nice and firm.

>
>
> Have you run across Honey Crisps? Fabulous apple! Developed at my U of
> MN. About $11 for half a peck around here!! Lor, they're good, though!


No I haven't run across Honey Crisps. I pay $8 for firsts, $5 for
seconds for a half bushel and they are cheaper if you pick your own but
ladders and I don't agree I'm just a tad accident prone and don't
need anything else bunged up this year. Are they a tart good cooking
apple? I'm always on the lookout for other varieties since they've
messed with the granny smith. The L-stars are very good for cooking
with. You should taste the Apple Maple Jam I just made. Dang that
stuff is really good! With the cooler weather I'll be making apple
bread using L-stars. I find they keep the shape better and that's what
you want in apple bread - nice chunks of apples
  #10 (permalink)   Report Post  
zxcvbob
 
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~patches~ wrote:
> Melba's Jammin' wrote:
>
>> In article >, ~patches~
>> > wrote:
>>
>>
>>> Bunny McElwee wrote:
>>>
>>>> I would like to make some juice for Apple Jelly. I've tried in

>>
>>
>> (snip)
>>
>>> I've had good luck with a variety called L-star. I've made
>>> applesauce, applepie filling and will be using them for pectin. I
>>> would think they would make lovely apple juice. IMO granny smith and
>>> red delicious are not near as good varieties as they used to be. I
>>> always used granny smiths for pies but find the L-star much nicer.
>>> It is a tart smaller apple with a yellowish to red blush. The fruit
>>> is nice and firm.

>>
>>
>>
>> Have you run across Honey Crisps? Fabulous apple! Developed at my U
>> of MN. About $11 for half a peck around here!! Lor, they're good,
>> though!

>
>
> No I haven't run across Honey Crisps. I pay $8 for firsts, $5 for
> seconds for a half bushel and they are cheaper if you pick your own but
> ladders and I don't agree I'm just a tad accident prone and don't
> need anything else bunged up this year. Are they a tart good cooking
> apple? I'm always on the lookout for other varieties since they've
> messed with the granny smith. The L-stars are very good for cooking
> with. You should taste the Apple Maple Jam I just made. Dang that
> stuff is really good! With the cooler weather I'll be making apple
> bread using L-stars. I find they keep the shape better and that's what
> you want in apple bread - nice chunks of apples



I bought a 10 pound bag of Honey Crisp seconds for $10 last weekend and
I've been eating them. I picked thru the bags and got one that had a
lot of large apples in it, and not very many with brown spots. I have a
mature Honey Crisp tree, but it has started blooming only every other
year. Last year it bloomed so much it looked like a white flowering
crabapple tree, and it took me a while to figure out where than faint
rose smell was coming from. So this year, no apples.

I wouldn't use honeycrisp apples for jelly even if they weren't so
expensive. They are too sweet and juicy. A firm tart apple would be a
better choice.

The Honey Golds were not out yet. I'll buy a half a bushel of Honey
Gold seconds (should be $5) for canning, baking, etc.

I've found that if I slice the apples and dip them in a Campden tablet
solution, they don't turn brown and I can store a big bowl of them in
the fridge and they stay pretty and white until the last of them finally
rot 2 weeks later. I used to send apple slices to school in DD's
lunches. One of the mom's (who was convinced her little darling was
allergic to *everything*, despite evidence to the contrary) asked me how
I kept the apple slices fresh. The look on her face was priceless when
I told her I dip them in bisulfite solution. :-)

Best regards,
Bob


  #11 (permalink)   Report Post  
commercialcanner
 
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If you like a tart apple for cooking look for the Boskoop. I think the
spelling is correct. These are perhaps the ugliest fruit ever to be
seen, huge and knobby but they do not get pithy and will knock your
socks off with tartness and flavor.CC

  #12 (permalink)   Report Post  
Dianna Visek
 
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I know it isn't quite the same, but I've had good luck using cider. I
steep herbs in it and then make an opaque jelly. (It's not jam since
there are no pieces of fruit.)

Regards, Dianna
_______________________________________________
To reply, please remove "fluff" from my address.
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William R. Watt
 
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Up until just after WWII they used to grow lots of different varieties of
apples on the Eperimental Farm here in Ottawa. I didn't live here then but
I worked in the Research Branch later and have seen harvest photos
complete with teams of horses - apples for cooking, apples for eating,
apples for shipping, apples for storing (in wooden barrels), apples for
cider, early apples, late apples, all kinds of apples.

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David J. Braunegg
 
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If you let an apple tree overbear one year, the next year you can get little
or nothing. This can become an ongoing cycle. You can break this cycle by
culling fruit very early on in the year.

My apologies if you already knew this.

Dave

"zxcvbob" > wrote in message
...
> ...
> I have a mature Honey Crisp tree, but it has started blooming only every
> other year. Last year it bloomed so much it looked like a white flowering
> crabapple tree, and it took me a while to figure out where than faint rose
> smell was coming from. So this year, no apples.



  #15 (permalink)   Report Post  
zxcvbob
 
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I assumed that was the case and I plan to thin the fruit severely next
year to try to break the cycle. Thanks for confirming this.

-Bob


David J. Braunegg wrote:

> If you let an apple tree overbear one year, the next year you can get little
> or nothing. This can become an ongoing cycle. You can break this cycle by
> culling fruit very early on in the year.
>
> My apologies if you already knew this.
>
> Dave
>
> "zxcvbob" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>...
>>I have a mature Honey Crisp tree, but it has started blooming only every
>>other year. Last year it bloomed so much it looked like a white flowering
>>crabapple tree, and it took me a while to figure out where than faint rose
>>smell was coming from. So this year, no apples.

>
>
>



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~patches~
 
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Dianna Visek wrote:

> I know it isn't quite the same, but I've had good luck using cider. I
> steep herbs in it and then make an opaque jelly. (It's not jam since
> there are no pieces of fruit.)
>
> Regards, Dianna
> _______________________________________________
> To reply, please remove "fluff" from my address.


That sounds nice. Do you use any pectin? Would you mind sharing your
recipe? Apple cider is rather abundant here at the moment and I've
wondered what to do to capture that special flavour.
  #17 (permalink)   Report Post  
~patches~
 
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zxcvbob wrote:

> ~patches~ wrote:
>
>> Melba's Jammin' wrote:
>>
>>> In article >, ~patches~
>>> > wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>> Bunny McElwee wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> I would like to make some juice for Apple Jelly. I've tried in
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> (snip)
>>>
>>>> I've had good luck with a variety called L-star. I've made
>>>> applesauce, applepie filling and will be using them for pectin. I
>>>> would think they would make lovely apple juice. IMO granny smith
>>>> and red delicious are not near as good varieties as they used to
>>>> be. I always used granny smiths for pies but find the L-star much
>>>> nicer. It is a tart smaller apple with a yellowish to red blush.
>>>> The fruit is nice and firm.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Have you run across Honey Crisps? Fabulous apple! Developed at my U
>>> of MN. About $11 for half a peck around here!! Lor, they're good,
>>> though!

>>
>>
>>
>> No I haven't run across Honey Crisps. I pay $8 for firsts, $5 for
>> seconds for a half bushel and they are cheaper if you pick your own
>> but ladders and I don't agree I'm just a tad accident prone and
>> don't need anything else bunged up this year. Are they a tart good
>> cooking apple? I'm always on the lookout for other varieties since
>> they've messed with the granny smith. The L-stars are very good for
>> cooking with. You should taste the Apple Maple Jam I just made. Dang
>> that stuff is really good! With the cooler weather I'll be making
>> apple bread using L-stars. I find they keep the shape better and
>> that's what you want in apple bread - nice chunks of apples

>
>
>
> I bought a 10 pound bag of Honey Crisp seconds for $10 last weekend and
> I've been eating them. I picked thru the bags and got one that had a
> lot of large apples in it, and not very many with brown spots. I have a
> mature Honey Crisp tree, but it has started blooming only every other
> year. Last year it bloomed so much it looked like a white flowering
> crabapple tree, and it took me a while to figure out where than faint
> rose smell was coming from. So this year, no apples.


I haven't seen honey crisps but will ask at my local orchard.

>
> I wouldn't use honeycrisp apples for jelly even if they weren't so
> expensive. They are too sweet and juicy. A firm tart apple would be a
> better choice.


For jams & jellies & even applesauce I thinnk you need a nice firm tart
apple. L-stars almost make your mouth pucker if you eat them raw but
they really cook up nicely!
>
> The Honey Golds were not out yet. I'll buy a half a bushel of Honey
> Gold seconds (should be $5) for canning, baking, etc.
>
> I've found that if I slice the apples and dip them in a Campden tablet
> solution, they don't turn brown and I can store a big bowl of them in
> the fridge and they stay pretty and white until the last of them finally
> rot 2 weeks later. I used to send apple slices to school in DD's
> lunches. One of the mom's (who was convinced her little darling was
> allergic to *everything*, despite evidence to the contrary) asked me how
> I kept the apple slices fresh. The look on her face was priceless when
> I told her I dip them in bisulfite solution. :-)


I'm allergic to sulfites which is why I avoid salad bars and most wines
Please don't make the mistake of offering a banned substance to
someone who may be sensitive/allergic to it. I know we've been through
this on the cooking ng so no need to reguritate it here. I've found
citric acid works well to keep the colour but I only use this method
during canning. Is there a reason to cut up the apples and keep them in
the fridge? Personally I think the skin adds fibre and I would rather
just eat an apple rather than apple slices that have been sitting for a
couple of weeks in the fridge. I dry a few apple slices each year to
garnish hot apple cider. I just can't figure out why you are cutting up
apples and storing them in the fridge or why you would be using an
unnecessary preservative.
>
> Best regards,
> Bob

  #18 (permalink)   Report Post  
zxcvbob
 
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~patches~ wrote:
>
> I'm allergic to sulfites which is why I avoid salad bars and most wines
> Please don't make the mistake of offering a banned substance to
> someone who may be sensitive/allergic to it. I know we've been through
> this on the cooking ng so no need to reguritate it here.



I would *never* offer someone a food that they claimed to be allergic or
sensitive to (whether I believed them or not.) My mention of the kid
being allergic to everything "despite evidence to the contrary" was
because the kid was supposedly allergic to peanuts (of course.) But,
much to the horror of his classmates the first time he did this, he
would snitch Nutter Butter® cookies from other kids' lunches. When the
other kids said "You can't eat those, you're allergic to peanuts!", he
responded "But I like them". No epi-pen, no benedryl, no hives, no
breathing problems, no reaction. The kid probably does have some
allergies, but mostly he has a hysterical mother -- but that's not my
problem either ;-)


> I've found
> citric acid works well to keep the colour but I only use this method
> during canning. Is there a reason to cut up the apples and keep them in
> the fridge?


Because they had bad spots -- especially small spots of brown rot, and
if I didn't cut them up and refrigerate them they would rot very
quickly. These were hail-damaged apples that I bought real cheap (and
they were delicious)

> Personally I think the skin adds fibre and I would rather
> just eat an apple rather than apple slices that have been sitting for a
> couple of weeks in the fridge. I dry a few apple slices each year to
> garnish hot apple cider. I just can't figure out why you are cutting up
> apples and storing them in the fridge or why you would be using an
> unnecessary preservative.


I buy a bushel of apples (usually seconds or culls) and I dry a bunch, I
make apple sauce and apple butter, bake a pie and/or fresh apple cake or
two, and we eat a lot of them. My family will eat them better if they
are cut up. I usually don't peel them other than to remove the bad spots.

I use sulphites because I like them. They are a very old method of
keeping fruit from darkening. The ancient way is with burning sulphur
in a barrel; I use campden tablets. (Try using ascorbic acid instead of
citric, it works a lot better and is less likely to affect the taste)

Best regards,
Bob <-- eating a huge Honey Crisp apple right now
  #19 (permalink)   Report Post  
~patches~
 
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zxcvbob wrote:

> I assumed that was the case and I plan to thin the fruit severely next
> year to try to break the cycle. Thanks for confirming this.
>


This is a good tip for anyone with a veggie garden too. Always do a
complete and clean pick to encourage new fruits or veggies. The more
you pick the more you will be rewarded with

> -Bob
>
>
> David J. Braunegg wrote:
>
>> If you let an apple tree overbear one year, the next year you can get
>> little or nothing. This can become an ongoing cycle. You can break
>> this cycle by culling fruit very early on in the year.
>>
>> My apologies if you already knew this.
>>
>> Dave
>>
>> "zxcvbob" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>
>>> ...
>>> I have a mature Honey Crisp tree, but it has started blooming only
>>> every other year. Last year it bloomed so much it looked like a
>>> white flowering crabapple tree, and it took me a while to figure out
>>> where than faint rose smell was coming from. So this year, no apples.

>>
>>
>>
>>

  #20 (permalink)   Report Post  
~patches~
 
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zxcvbob wrote:

> ~patches~ wrote:
>
>>
>> I'm allergic to sulfites which is why I avoid salad bars and most
>> wines Please don't make the mistake of offering a banned
>> substance to someone who may be sensitive/allergic to it. I know
>> we've been through this on the cooking ng so no need to reguritate it
>> here.

>
>
>
> I would *never* offer someone a food that they claimed to be allergic or
> sensitive to (whether I believed them or not.) My mention of the kid
> being allergic to everything "despite evidence to the contrary" was
> because the kid was supposedly allergic to peanuts (of course.) But,
> much to the horror of his classmates the first time he did this, he
> would snitch Nutter Butter® cookies from other kids' lunches. When the
> other kids said "You can't eat those, you're allergic to peanuts!", he
> responded "But I like them". No epi-pen, no benedryl, no hives, no
> breathing problems, no reaction. The kid probably does have some
> allergies, but mostly he has a hysterical mother -- but that's not my
> problem either ;-)


I didn't think you would I have no idea what Nutter Butter cookies
are either but I'm sure DH would like them. The closest he gets to
peanut butter is the 1 - 2 batches of peanut butter cookies I make each
year. We aren't heavy peanut butter users.
>
>
>> I've found citric acid works well to keep the colour but I only use
>> this method during canning. Is there a reason to cut up the apples
>> and keep them in the fridge?

>
>
> Because they had bad spots -- especially small spots of brown rot, and
> if I didn't cut them up and refrigerate them they would rot very
> quickly. These were hail-damaged apples that I bought real cheap (and
> they were delicious)


Oh now that's a great idea. I can get 2nds really cheap. Do you think
it would work if I used citric acid?

>
>> Personally I think the skin adds fibre and I would rather just eat an
>> apple rather than apple slices that have been sitting for a couple of
>> weeks in the fridge. I dry a few apple slices each year to garnish
>> hot apple cider. I just can't figure out why you are cutting up
>> apples and storing them in the fridge or why you would be using an
>> unnecessary preservative.

>
>
> I buy a bushel of apples (usually seconds or culls) and I dry a bunch, I
> make apple sauce and apple butter, bake a pie and/or fresh apple cake or
> two, and we eat a lot of them. My family will eat them better if they
> are cut up. I usually don't peel them other than to remove the bad spots.


Yep, apple sauce, apple butter, pies, and bread! I'll post a pick of
the bread on the cooking ng if I end up making it today. It's really
good! This year I made Apple Maple Jam using L-stars and maple syrup.
It sure has a really nice flavour and looks pretty in the jars!
>
> I use sulphites because I like them. They are a very old method of
> keeping fruit from darkening. The ancient way is with burning sulphur
> in a barrel; I use campden tablets. (Try using ascorbic acid instead of
> citric, it works a lot better and is less likely to affect the taste)


I'll give the ascorbic acid a try. Thanks for the tip!
>
> Best regards,
> Bob <-- eating a huge Honey Crisp apple right now



  #21 (permalink)   Report Post  
Dianna Visek
 
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I use the lower sugar variety of pectin. I don't really remember a
recipe. I probably just used the one they supply for apple jelly. I
steeped a mint scented geranium in it, but you could use whatever herb
appealed to you. How long to steep depends on the herb and how much
you use. Taste it and see if it's strong enough.

Regards, Dianna


On Thu, 29 Sep 2005 13:00:17 -0400, ~patches~
> wrote:

>Dianna Visek wrote:
>
>> I know it isn't quite the same, but I've had good luck using cider. I
>> steep herbs in it and then make an opaque jelly. (It's not jam since
>> there are no pieces of fruit.)
>>
>> Regards, Dianna
>> _______________________________________________
>> To reply, please remove "fluff" from my address.

>
>That sounds nice. Do you use any pectin? Would you mind sharing your
>recipe? Apple cider is rather abundant here at the moment and I've
>wondered what to do to capture that special flavour.


_______________________________________________
To reply, please remove "fluff" from my address.
  #22 (permalink)   Report Post  
David J. Braunegg
 
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Especially important for cucumbers. If you let one go yellow, the vine will
stop producing.

Dave

"~patches~" > wrote in message
...
> zxcvbob wrote:
>
>> I assumed that was the case and I plan to thin the fruit severely next
>> year to try to break the cycle. Thanks for confirming this.
>>

>
> This is a good tip for anyone with a veggie garden too. Always do a
> complete and clean pick to encourage new fruits or veggies. The more you
> pick the more you will be rewarded with
>
>> -Bob
>>
>>
>> David J. Braunegg wrote:
>>
>>> If you let an apple tree overbear one year, the next year you can get
>>> little or nothing. This can become an ongoing cycle. You can break
>>> this cycle by culling fruit very early on in the year.
>>>
>>> My apologies if you already knew this.
>>>
>>> Dave
>>>
>>> "zxcvbob" > wrote in message
>>> ...
>>>
>>>> ...
>>>> I have a mature Honey Crisp tree, but it has started blooming only
>>>> every other year. Last year it bloomed so much it looked like a white
>>>> flowering crabapple tree, and it took me a while to figure out where
>>>> than faint rose smell was coming from. So this year, no apples.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>



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