Apple Recipes

Catherine’s Hot Spicy Apple Chutney

900g apples   2 tbsp salt   1 whole head garlic 15 peppercorns    5 fl oz cooking oil    2 tbsp mustard seed   1tsp fenugreek seeds  2cm fresh ginger   2 tsp grd cumin   1 tsp chilli powder 1 tsp turmeric  3 or 4 fresh green chillis seeded &chopped  5 fl oz vinegar   125 g sugar..
Peel core and slice apples, sprinkle with salt. Grate ginger & garlic & fry in oil. Add all spices then add apples, vinegar & sugar. Stir and cook for 30 mins. Put in warmed jars with lids and seal.

Apple & Butter Bean Hotpot

200 g butter beans, soaked overnight and cooked. Chop and saute 3 apples and 2 onions in pan. Add butter beans and ½ tsp turmeric, mixed spice and cinnamon. Add 2-300ml veg stock. Cook for 20 mins.

Apple Loaf

½ lb self raising flour   ½ tsp salt   1 ½ oz butter or marg   3tbls soft brown sugar   1 egg   cinnamon + lemon juice  4 or 5 cooking apples peeled cored &chopped.
Cream butter and sugar, add dry ingredients & apples. Add egg & enough milk to form dropping consistency, bake 20-30mins 180 C.

Apple Crumble with a difference

Traditional recipe :
Chopped apple with a little sugar to taste in bottom of greased pyrex bowl. Top with crumble mix made from 6 oz SR flour, 3oz marg and 3 oz sugar rubbed together. Bake at 190 C gas mark 5 for 30mins

Variations :
Grate some fresh ginger and mix with apples or add raspberries or cranberries or blackberries – whatever you have. Add grated marzipan to the crumble mix.

Apple Cake

Suitable for vegans, also enjoyed by non vegans, just swap cow’s milk in for soya.
Chop up some apples and cook to soften, quantity seems to be unimportant - 2 big cookers, windfalls, eaters or whatever you have.
Dry ingredients to be mixed together : 14oz SR flour, 7 oz sugar, 1/2 teasp mixed spice.
Add in 200 ml sunflower oil. Mix separately then add to flour mixture :  300 ml soya milk or 200ml milk + 100 ml water with 1 teasp bicarb of soda and 1 teasp lemon juice.
Mix in softened apples.
Pour into 2 greased loaf tins or one large greased cake tin.
Slice more apples and arrange on the top pressing into the cake mix.
Sprinkle a little more mixed spice and some sugar on top.

Bake 180C for about 30 mins.  Use brown sugar or white and whatever type of apples you have to hand, the recipe seems to be quite forgiving.

Green Tomato and Apple Chutney

700g green tomatoes, 700g apples, 450g onions, 450g sultanas, 450g sugar, 570ml pickling vinegar, 40g salt, 10g mace, 10g cinnamon, 10g allspice, 5g cayenne, 5g cloves, 5g peppercorns, 5g ginger.

Chop tomatoes, onions and apples (cored but not peeled) and put through a food processor or mincer.  Put into large pan with other ingredients, bring gently to boil and boil for 1½ - 2 hours.  Makes about 3.6kg of chutney.

Other vegetables and fruit can also be used – e.g. courgettes instead of green tomatoes, or plums instead of sultanas. 

Potato Cakes with Red Cabbage and Apple Sauce

Sauce: 1 red cabbage, 3 tart apples, 6tbsps brown sugar, 6 tbsps red wine vinegar, 1 tbsp margarine, ½ tsp pepper

Potato cakes:   500g potatoes, 250g onions, 4½ tbsps wholemeal flour,salt & pepper, margarine (for frying)   

Trim off outer leaves from cabbage, cut into quarters and remove core,slice thinly.  Put 1 inch of water into large saucepan and bring to boil; add cabbage and simmer until cabbage is tender (about 30 mins).  Peel, core, quarter and slice apples, add to pan and cook for 10 mins more.  Drain off excess liquid if any.  Stir in sugar, vinegar, margarine and pepper; mix well.

Wash and scrub potatoes, coarsely grate with onions into a bowl.  Add seasoning and flour, mix well.  Melt margarine in frying pan and drop a tbsp of mixture into pan at a time, flattening into a round cake.  Fry until golden brown, then turn and fry other side.  Serve hot with cabbage & apple sauce

Rustic Apple Cake

225g cooking apples (peeled, cored and chopped), juice of ½ lemon, 225g plain flour, 1½ tsps baking powder, 115g butter, 165g soft brown sugar,1 egg (beaten), 2 – 3 tbsps milk, ½ tsp cinnamon.

Toss apple pieces in lemon juice and set aside.  Sift flour and baking powder together then rub in butter till it resembles breadcrumbs.  Stir in apple, egg and 115g of the sugar; mix well and add a little milk at a time until soft and doughy.  Spoon into 7-inch greased and lined cake tin. Mix remaining sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle over cake mix; bake in preheated oven for 45 - 50 mins at 180ºC. 

Preserving Fruit by Drying

Fruits such as apples and pears dry well. Peel and core the fruit and cut apples into 5mm rings and pears into quarters. Place into cold salted water immediately for a few minutes to prevent discoloration, then pat fully dry with kitchen roll. Place fruit in single layers on a drying tray and cover with a piece of muslin to keep the fruit clean whilst it is drying. Place in oven at 50ºC (or in an airing cupboard – this will take longer).  Check that fruit is fully dry by pressing 2 pieces together: if they feel rubbery and spring back into shape, they are ready. Remove from heat source and leave for 12 hours, then pack into airtight containers or cardboard boxes lined with greaseproof paper and store in a very dry place.

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