Apples

Apples are one of the oldest known fruits.  The earlier, uncultivated ones probably resembled wild crab apples, the first to be cultivated by man from which many varieties have been bred.  There are more than 7,500 known cultivars of apples!

  Apples are ready for eating when the stalk comes away easily, with a slight twist, from the branch and the pips have ripened from white to brown.  If they are to be stored it is essential to judge the right time to pick as under-ripe fruit will shrivel and be bitter while over-ripe fruit will quickly decay.  Choose blemish-free apples with the stalk still attached for storing.  Wrap each individually in squares of newspaper to check rotting from spreading if one should start to decay.  Store in single layers and slightly apart in a cool, dark place.  We blacked out the larder last year and ours kept for a good three months into the new year.  Too dry an atmosphere will cause the apples to become woolly in texture and shrivel.  Cookers keep the longest. 

  Windfalls are ideal for making chutneys and jams or for making apple sauce.  The apple sauce freezes well and chutney will keep for up to a year in a cool larder.  Apples provide the basis for many traditional and delicious desserts and puddings such as; apple pie, strudel, crumble, eve's pudding, charlottes and many more.  They are also wonderful eaten baked whole in their skins, maybe stuffed with sugar, cinnamon and raisins, or stewed and served with hot custard.  

  Apples have a high pectin content which makes them excellent for jams and jellies.  Their flavour is not particularly strong so they can be combined with other fruits which are low in pectin to give a better set.  

  

REDCURRANTS

Our redcurrant bush has abundantly produced over 7 lbs of these beautiful ruby red berries this year.  

When berries are bright and glossy pick  on a dry sunny day, snipping off the whole strigs and being careful to catch them as they fall.  Only wash if absolutely necessary and make sure they are thoroughly dry.  

To remove from the strigs hold by the top and run a fork gently but firmly downwards, so the berries pop off.  Be careful to get the strig the right way up or you will end up with the berries coming off with little stems still attached.

Because of their sharpness redcurrants are usually stewed with sugar for use in pies, pancake fillings or cheesecake toppings.  They combine well with other fruit, such as cherries and raspberries.  Mix together for summer flans, or use as a strudel filling with cream cheese.  Currants also make delicious hot or cold sauces, and when poached and sieved can be used in mousses, soufflés and sorbets.  Currants have a high pectin content making them excellent for jellies and jams.

Currants will keep for about a week in the fridge provided any damaged ones are removed and cover to minimise shrinkage.  To freeze, mix 4 0z sugar to 1 lb of currants and place in rigid well sealed containers.  I first put them in a freezer bag and then into ice cream containers/pots.