We love apples around here. I don’t think a week goes by where we don’t eat them raw or cook with them. Apples are inexpensive (especially if you go out and pick them yourself), store well and can be used in a variety of dishes. I use them as a pancake topping, in my oatmeal muffins, in the famous waldorf salad, or cook them in a savory pork dish. My mother taught me to always grate an apple into cooking red cabbage and my daughter’s favorite salad is grated apples and carrots dressed with a mixture of lemon juice and honey.
They also make for a great portable snack. Stick one in your child’s lunch box, and grab another one as you head to work. Pack a few apples for your next picnic or as a quick, healthy snack when you’re playing at the park with the kids or are in the car for a while.
My friend Jill from Living on a Dime was recently blessed with a whole bunch of apples, which inspired her to write the following article. Enjoy!
Acres of Apples, Frugal to the Core
By Jill Cooper
Living On A Dime
I’ve always dreamed of having an apple tree in my back yard. You know the old saying, “Be careful what you wish for?” Now that I actually have my own apple tree, I stand in my yard watching the apples piling up around me thinking, “Oh no — What do I do with this mess now?” If I could make gasoline out of apples, I could retire, but since that is not an option and my frugal mind will not allow me to waste one apple, I have had to come up with some yummier “apple disposal” methods. If you find that you have a few dozen more apples than you know what to do with, these recipes from LivingOnADime.com will help settle your frugal dilemma.
Other Uses:
~When you have a partially eaten apple, save the good part and chop into pieces. Place in a microwave safe dish. Blend together 1 tsp. each brown sugar, flour, oatmeal and margarine and a dash of cinnamon. Top the apple with the topping and microwave until tender.
~Core and slice apples very thin. Dehydrate and use in granolas, eat alone or soften in warm water to use in recipes.
~Slice and use in Pancakes or waffles.
~Freeze. Peel, slice and core and then store in 2 cups portions in freezer bags.
~Use soft apples in cooking.
~Cut into small pieces and add to salads with a fruit based dressing.
Apple Butter
9 to 10 apples, cored, peeled and chopped
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. cloves
1/8 tsp. salt
Place everything into a crockpot. Stir, cover and cook on high 1 hour. Cook on low for 9-11 hours or until thick and dark brown. Stir occasionally. Uncover and cook on low 1 hour longer. Stir with whisk until smooth. Refrigerate or Freeze. Makes 2 pints.
Apple Pie Filling
9 cups baking apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice
5 cups water
2 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
Toss apples with lemon juice and set aside. Combine the rest of the ingredients in Dutch oven and bring to a boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add apples and return to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until apples are tender (6-10 minutes). Cool for 30 minutes. Then ladle into freezer containers or bake immediately. Makes two 9-inch pies.
Fried Apples
4 large apples, cored and sliced
3 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
Cut apples into 1/4 inch slices. Heat butter in a large skillet. Put the apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon in the skillet and cover. Over medium-low heat, cook apple slices 7-10 minutes or until they begin to soften and the syrup thickens. Serve coated with excess syrup on top. Serves 4.
Baked Apples
apples, cored
raisins (optional)
1 tsp. margarine
dash of cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
1 Tbsp. honey or brown sugar
(These amounts are per apple.)
For each person use 1 apple. Fill the center of the apple with all the ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees until tender or put in a Dutch oven on top of stove and simmer on very low until tender.
Apple Snack
2 qts. apples, peeled, cored and halved
Coarsely grate apples. Place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 225 degrees until dry. Remove from cookie sheet and break into pieces. Store in an airtight container.
Apple Crisp
6 apples, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. cinnamon and/or nutmeg
1/2 cup water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange apples in well-greased baking dish. Blend all remaining ingredients except water. Spread evenly over top of apples. Pour water over the topping. Bake 45 minutes until apples are tender and top is crisp. Serves 6.
Peach Crisp
Use peaches in place of apples.
Jill Cooper raised two teenagers alone on $500 a month income after becoming disabled with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. To read more of Jill’s articles and for free tips and recipes visit http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/livingonadime.htm.
Do you use the apple peelings for anything? it seems like such a waste to take all that peeling off and not use it.
I had a friend long ago who said her family was so poor that after making anything with apples they saved the peels and made apple jelly. I have looked on Google and there are several recipes for making apple jelly with peels. Basically you boil peels with water, let sit overnight, strain, add sugar and pectin. No fruit to buy, as you already have it! For proportions go to a recipe finder on the internet and try it. I am sure the apple taste and color would be good. Talk about not wasting anything!
my mother used to do this and it makes the most wonderful jelly! lots better than you could ever buy in a store.
you can you the apple peal for making apple tea as well. Just let it dry in the oven on a very low temperatue, break it in pieces and pour boiling water over it. Let it stand for at least 10 minutes. Drink it hot or let it cool down for a fruity iced tea.
I feed my apple peels to my chickens.
eating the peels of apples keeps ya “regular” is what I’ve been told…and it does.
If you want to keep the apple butter, you have to process and seal it–10 minutes in a boiling water bath will do.
As far as the peels, my children stand there while I’m peeling, and eat them as fast as I can peel them. We’ve called them “worms” for years because the kids look like chickens with a worm hanging out of their mouths!
I don’t can my apple pie filling, I just put it uncooked in a gallon freezer bag. I usually used it to make a crunch or cobbler since that is quicker than a pie.
We also like apple dumplings-core a whole apple, wrap in pie crust, place in a baking pish, and pour a hot sauce of water/ sugar/cinnamon/ butter over them, and cook.
One other idea I got from a friend-make your apple pie filling, but instead of cooking or canning, put the slices on the dehydrator. I actually make these in the fall and give as Christmas gifts. People love them!
Besides the ideas above,we also eat “honey apples”- sliced apples with honey over the top; apples w/ cheddar on top of ritz crackers;fried peanut butter, apple and honey sandwiches;apple halves with peanut butter in the center; baked apples;caramel apples;apples in jello;and homemade chunky applesauce.
I buy well over 250# of apples each fall and we eat them fresh through January (when I can no longer buy in bulk and have eaten all those we stored), and enjoy them frozen, dried and in apple butter the rest of the year. I of course continue buying them through the winter, I just can’t get them in the large quantities for the great price after that (we pay $14 for a 40# box at a local farm).
I have found that you can make your pie filling as you like it, then place in lined pie tins and freeze. When frozen, pop out of the tin and wrap. Stack in freezer and use as needed.
Apple peels also make nice baked “chips”. I toss them with a bit of lemon, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and white pepper. I bake them in a 275 degree oven until they “crisp”. Usually about 4 minutes…this varies depending upon the oven.