Hot answers tagged apples
13
The food-grade wax applied to apples after being washed post-harvesting (which removes their naturally produced waxy outer coating) is safe.
From the U.S. Apple Association:
Waxes have been used on fruits and vegetables since the 1920s. They are all made from natural ingredients, and are certified by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to be safe to ...
11
Depends on the apple. Apples with softer skins will bake to a more even consistancy, but apples with tough skin (the 'shiny' kinds like mackintosh or red delicious) tend to get caught in your teeth and throat, and are generally a pain to eat.
If you do make a pie with the skins on, use smaller pieces of apple or slice around the apples to create shorter ...
11
I found that when I dry apple slices (usually early dessert apples) that there is no noticeable difference in the finished product - except of course the colour. I went so far as to have people blind-test them, nobody could tell between acid-treated and "natural" dried apples with statistical significance.
10
You can cut the apple cider with some apple cider vinegar. Adding a couple tablespoons of cider vinegar to 1 cup of apple cider should do the trick.
You can also add a bit of mustard seed, whole or ground to give it some heat that can help combat the sweetness. I wouldn't add more than a pinch of ground mustard or a half tsp of whole seeds.
I use this ...
10
The fast food chains that sell pre-cut apples in bags use Nitrogen or similar food inert gas. But I can't see this being practical in a normal kitchen
Acid is the answer, try slightly less noticeable acid sources such as fresh (as in you squeezed it) orange or pineapple juice
They should not taint the taste so much if you just lightly brush it on the ...
10
The average of four different recipes that use apples or pears to make a chutney suggest the ratios
1.3lb of fruit : 1 cups of sugar : 0.9 cup of vinegar
or in units related to the metric system
300g of fruit : 100g of sugar : 100ml of vinegar
The fruit weight is for peeled and cored apples or pears, the 0.9 cups is the same as filling a cup and ...
9
It's wax. Apples contain wax in their peel naturally and the amount varies between different varieties. Some don't feel waxy at all. It is there to prevent the fruit of drying out and the industry sometimes adds wax as well (especially to fruits that will be exported long distances), to keep them fresh longer.
As for removing the wax, you could try this.
8
One of my favorite topics, having grown up close to two apple orchards...
Most likely, by "quick-cooking," the recipe intends you to use a pie or sauce apple, i.e. one that softens readily with heat.
Sauce apples. Use these for a pie if you like VERY soft pie contents. Personally, I prefer applesauce that has some chunks in it, so I don't use "sauce ...
8
I've preserved cut fruit for at least 6 hours before using just lemon juice. Lemon juice inhibits the oxidation of the fruit which prevents browning as well of a loss of crispness.
One lemon should be enough juice for a 1.5 quart bowl of cut fruit. Simply squeeze it over the fruit and toss gently to prevent bruising.
Since you'll be working with apples, ...
7
A great place to start is the Scientific American article, Why do apple slices turn brown after being cut?
The discoloration of apples is caused by oxidation, which, in the case of apples, is actually caused by oxygen (this is not always the case). Specifically it's caused by an enzyme in the apple caused polyphenol oxidase (PPO).
There are many things ...
7
I went to the farmers' market last week and bought a variety of apples.
After cooking, here's the order from softest to firmest:
McIntosh, Cortland, Winesap, Yellow Delicious.
The McIntosh of course practically dissolve. If you want to make quick apple sauce, or if you like really squishy pie, they're the best.
I typically prefer Cortlands for pie, b/c ...
7
When making fruit pies your goal is essentially to make a loose jam inside the crust, something that will remain firm and cohesive without resisting fork or tooth. Apple skins are detrimental to this process as they aren't hygroscopic and will prevent the apple pieces from melding with the other pieces on the skinned side.
I'm not saying it's impossible to ...
6
If you're eating red delicious apples coated in thick wax, you are really missing out on the wonder of dense, sweet, crisp, tart apples. Red delicious have an unnaturally thick skin, mealy flesh, and little apple flavor. I highly, highly recommend some Gala, McIntosh, or other smaller, rounder, really delicious apples.
Also, it's at least a good idea to ...
6
According to Wikipedia, apple cider (US usage) is different from apple juice (US usage) in that:
"Apple juice and apple cider are both fruit beverages made from apples, but there is a
difference between the two. Fresh cider is raw apple juice that has
not undergone a filtration process to remove coarse particles of pulp
or sediment. Apple juice is ...
6
In addition to the brown color they also become mushy and have a bruised flavor. Not a nice thing.
I don't know anything about the brown being antibacterial but I don't really care because I don't expect cut apples to stay around long enough to harbor bacteria.
An acidic solution will prevent browning. I toss mine with dilute lemon juice. They will last ...
6
This waxy coating is called epicuticular wax, as it forms the cuticle of the fruit. It is essentially paraffin. It acts to both seal in moisture and keep out fungi, dirt and microorganisms.
As rumtscho suggests in her comment, even if you could prevent it from forming, it's not a good idea for obvious reasons: it does no harm and keeps the apples fresher ...
6
Yes. See the accepted answer for Can most sour fruits be jelled by cooking with sugar?. After getting that answer, I have successfully made apple jelly with fresh cooked and strained apple juice and sugar, and nothing else. You can search for apple jelly recipes and find directions.
6
While not directly addressing the question of apple sauce, this Food Lab article by Kenji Alt on apple pie has some excellent information on differences of apple varieties. He surveys a number of common (at least in the US) varieties.
He notes that apples which brown more quickly tend to be both less tart (as acid, which underlies a tart flavor) inhibits ...
4
You could try making your own. Pressing apples isnt that hard to do, but you require a descent amount to make it worth while. Ideally try and find someone with an orchard and ask if you can pick some, however it is very late in the season now and here in the UK at least you would probably be out of luck.
Alternativly just buy the best apple juice you can ...
3
Oddly I have a coworker who bought a caramel apple and then left it in its plastic on his desk for about 4 years. We didn't photo document its decline but I should be able to recall.
After about a week the impalement point became quite unappealing. The area around the stick darkened and softened (it seemed, I didn't touch it). The rest of the skin looked ...
3
The only trick I know of is to use a different variety of apple-- some will turn to complete mush, while others stay firm. Unfortunately, unlike potatoes, they don't tend to be marked at the super market as to which variety they are.
Now, I'm not familiar with Bramley, but from what I've found, it's compared to Granny Smith, which tends to hold up well in ...
3
In my experience cookbooks always tell you to peel the apples, and professional apple pies will always have the peels removed. Cooking at home, though, I often leave them on, especially if I know the apples are organic. I think the peels add flavor and texture, and as you mention, nutrition.
3
They are not safe. An apple used in this manner is an aromatic, not to be eaten. I often use a combination of apple, cinnamon, rosemary and onion inside my bird. This stuff does not reach the necessary temperature to kill the little beasties that will hurt you. If it does, then you'll have one dry bird.
3
Depends. It increases the thermal mass of the thing to be cooked, making the inside (the apple) come to temp later than the meat parts of the bird.
If the apple gets hot enough, then chances are you've overcooked the bird. So pulling the bird when perfect results in an apple that might have some sort of contamination, although then the inside of the bird ...
3
Apple Cider, particularly for the purposes of heating and mulling, should be unfiltered, but more importantly unpasteurized. This is a primary difference you will taste. Also, don't rely on powdered mixes; if you are in Italy, look up a mix (i.e. clove, vanilla, star anise, whatever) and get some actual whole spices (I assume mulling spices are not uncommon) ...
2
As an alternative to discarding (which seems a waste) there are any number of ways you could further cook the apple that would be better than just tossing it. Sounds like a nice addition to stuffing, or desert.
But you will need to cook it after you remove it from the bird. Stuffing is bad enough, and, in the case of stuffing, you can raise it to a high ...
2
I leave the skins on, slice the apples, and soak them in cinnamon, sugar, and a little salt for a day or two. Then I drain and layer the pie with apples, cinnamon, and sugar several times and bake. I've never had complaints. The skins basically turn to mush but the pie is great, not a sloppy mess. Very nice on a plate, holds well while cutting and serving, ...
2
In cooler climates like mine, where temperatures float between 20 and 50 F through most of the fall, I have used a garage, or shady balcony to let nature handle the chilling for me. Covering with a tarp and/or blankets on colder nights may helpful to avoid freezing. A second refrigerator is also a nice addition which fits in some apartments for the home chef ...
2
Apples are best stored at 0° C (32° F) at 90% humidity. If you don't have a cellar, you'll have to try to recreate that environment as best you can.
The closest you can come in most small apartments is actually a plastic bag with some holes poked in for ventilation (to prevent excess moisture from building up). Then put that in the refrigerator to get ...
2
Just recalled a pie I made a few years back that may help you out...
It was the end of the season, and I didn't have enough fresh apples left for both a pie and sauce. The pork roast in the oven cried out for sauce, but the ice cream in the freezer pleaded for pie... So I cooked up the sauce, and rolled out the dough, lining the bottom of the pie with dried ...
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