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The upside is that the apple butter didn't take up valuable stove/pot space while cooking down, and I could process other things while waiting for it to thicken.
I wound up with 13 pints of applesauce (two of which didn't seal), 6 1/2 pints of apple butter, 7 pints of apple pie filling ... and there still is about a peck of apples to deal with. I found a recipe for apple, onion and ale relish that looks interesting.
I was going to try just preserving them in light syrup - but you all are saying they turn out so mushy, so maybe I'll just make more applesauce. Or more pie filling. I can eat that stuff right out of the jar, or over waffles, etc. I just have to remember to cut the amount of sugar in the recipe.
sounds really yummy. I can imagine the apple/onion relish sounds like something that would be good with pork. I love onion/tomato jam with pork. As for eating out of the jar, that is how I feel about apple butter and I try to cut the sugar down on a lot of my canning.
The key to non mushy apple pie filling is to use a good crisp variety of apples. Also make sure to use clear gel and not cornstarch for the gel. So far I've put up two dozen pints of sauce but still have a bushel of apples so will do some apple pie filling. I also just got a food dehydratior and am having fun making apple chips.
My bad, I thought Jasmin asked about non-mushy apple pie filling, but what she really said was
Quote:
I want to cann just reg Apple, anyone got a recipe? so apples are not mushy and over whelmed by sugar
I picked a bunch of apples this year and found that the variety of apples made a huge difference in my sauce. When we were visiting our son in Vermont we picked a 1/2 bushel of Cortland apples. They make mushy (but tasty) sauce. Last week I went picking here and got more baking type apples and when I made sauce it hardly broke down at all. I probably should have taken my immersion blender to the sauce but instead just left it chunky. I just checked my apples from the ones I had dehydrated last night and some are crispy and some are chewy. I'm guessing that has to do with the apple variety as well.
The key to non mushy apple pie filling is to use a good crisp variety of apples. Also make sure to use clear gel and not cornstarch for the gel. So far I've put up two dozen pints of sauce but still have a bushel of apples so will do some apple pie filling. I also just got a food dehydratior and am having fun making apple chips.
My bad, I thought Jasmin asked about non-mushy apple pie filling, but what she really said was
I picked a bunch of apples this year and found that the variety of apples made a huge difference in my sauce. When we were visiting our son in Vermont we picked a 1/2 bushel of Cortland apples. They make mushy (but tasty) sauce. Last week I went picking here and got more baking type apples and when I made sauce it hardly broke down at all. I probably should have taken my immersion blender to the sauce but instead just left it chunky. I just checked my apples from the ones I had dehydrated last night and some are crispy and some are chewy. I'm guessing that has to do with the apple variety as well.
I do use very crisp apples like pippin or Jonathan and I don't use any real filler, they are still on the mushy side. I have been canning for 50 plus years, still the apples are too mushy for our taste, but thanks for the hint, I hope your advise works for some anyway.
I do use very crisp apples like pippin or Jonathan and I don't use any real filler, they are still on the mushy side. I have been canning for 50 plus years, still the apples are too mushy for our taste, but thanks for the hint, I hope your advise works for some anyway.
I am sure you know much more than canning than me since I've only canned for a few years recently after doing it for a few years before I had kids (back in the late 70's). Just trying to figure out what could cause mushy apples. I found this very interesting article. See what you think. Bland, mushy apples, brought to you by climate change | Earth | EarthSky
Quote:
Apples of today are sweeter, mushier, and more plagued by watercore than the fruits of yore. The change has been gradual, so your 2013 Fuji apple may not seem conspicuously flavorless and mealy. But if you could hop into a time machine and sample the crisp, tart 1970s version, it would presumably be like comparing apples to oranges.
Ugh, I just made the blandest batch of applesauce ever from a bushel of mixed seconds, mostly Gala. I fixed it by making a few pints of cinnamon applesauce, a few pints of grape applesauce, and a few pints of cranberry applesauce.
From now on I'm not buying anything but winesap or macoun.
Ugh, I just made the blandest batch of applesauce ever from a bushel of mixed seconds, mostly Gala. I fixed it by making a few pints of cinnamon applesauce, a few pints of grape applesauce, and a few pints of cranberry applesauce.
From now on I'm not buying anything but winesap or macoun.
you know we never see winesaps here. We used to get them in CA all the time. I do use Jonathan for my apple butter or green ones. I have to have the firmness but also the flavor that comes from some apples, more than others. At least you have the cinnamon and the rest to add flavor.
Ugh, I just made the blandest batch of applesauce ever from a bushel of mixed seconds, mostly Gala. I fixed it by making a few pints of cinnamon applesauce, a few pints of grape applesauce, and a few pints of cranberry applesauce.
From now on I'm not buying anything but winesap or macoun.
Can you try warming it on the stove & melting cinnamon red hots in it to give it flavor? I've never used the flavors you canned but it is worth a try possibly.
The key to non mushy apple pie filling is to use a good crisp variety of apples. Also make sure to use clear gel and not cornstarch for the gel. So far I've put up two dozen pints of sauce but still have a bushel of apples so will do some apple pie filling. I also just got a food dehydratior and am having fun making apple chips.
My bad, I thought Jasmin asked about non-mushy apple pie filling, but what she really said was
I picked a bunch of apples this year and found that the variety of apples made a huge difference in my sauce. When we were visiting our son in Vermont we picked a 1/2 bushel of Cortland apples. They make mushy (but tasty) sauce. Last week I went picking here and got more baking type apples and when I made sauce it hardly broke down at all. I probably should have taken my immersion blender to the sauce but instead just left it chunky. I just checked my apples from the ones I had dehydrated last night and some are crispy and some are chewy. I'm guessing that has to do with the apple variety as well.
Its a shame we can't buy Bramley apples in the US (a large English cooking apple), they make a great apple pie or apple crumble.
I made this relish last night and can't stop eating it! From "The Complete Book of Pickling" by Jennifer MacKenzie.
Apple Onion Ale Relish
4C finely chopped onions
2 T canning salt
1 1/2 C packed brown sugar
1 T mustard seeds
1/4 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t ground nutmet
1C cider vinegar
2C soft, tart apples, peeled and finely chopped (Macintosh, Empire, Ida Red)
1 C dark ale
4c tart cooking apples, peeled and finely chopped
In a large, non-reactive bowl, combine onions and salt. Cover and let stand 2 hours at room temperature. Drain and rinse, squeezing out excess liquid.
In a large pot, combine brown sugar, mustard seeds, cinnamon, nutmet and vinegar. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar is disolved. Add onions, soft apples, and ale; return to a boil, stirring often. Reduce heat and boil gently until apples begin to break up and mixture is thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in remaining apples and return to a boil. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring often, for 5 minutes.
Ladle hot relish into jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Process 10 minutes in a boiling water bath.
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