Harvest - apples and such

It's Autumn in our little patch of Eden and Autumn means nature's bounty. Everything is coming at once which is indicative of  a). poor planning and b). a reasonably shite summer. When we moved to this property some 9-10 years ago we were delighted with the number of fruit trees we found. We were even more delighted to discover that a previous occupant had the nous to espalier one of the apple trees. This apple tree is a mystery, the variety is lost in the ether somewhere, but this we do know: it's a small red apple, quite sweet  and it gets annihilated by coddling moth each year. This year we didn't spray the tree, and the aphids that usually plague  its tender stems were nowhere to be found. Next year a coddling moth trap will be a must.

Here is the apple tree in question. Now the apples from this tree are not overly flash for eating. Small members of the household turn up their noses at the blemishes and blacks spots. No matter, I thwart them by stewing them (the apples, not the small people).


The wasps in this patch of Eden are the best fed blighters on the street. Many apples have been munched by wasps, and it's a case of pick one and 4 fall on your head.

STEWED APPLE - SLOW COOKER STYLE

This recipe for stewed apple is based on many other recipes; I have tweaked it to suit myself and my tastes. In the interests of transparency and copyright you can find it  HERE

Use whatever apples you like or have a glut of.

What you need:

• Apples - peeled and cored, sliced how you want. I just roughly chop them
• Lemon juice - about 1/2 cup or the juice of 2-3 lemons
• Sugar - a tricky one, I used a scant cup as I like the tart taste and sugar is the devil. Adjust to suit you -  about 1-1.5 Cups
• Spices - suit yourself - try cinnamon, ginger, mixed spice, ground cardamom - about a tsp of each. Play and adjust spices to suit your tastes.

What you do:

• Fill a large bowl with the lemon juice and place apples in here. The juice is supposed to stop them from going brown. I add a bit of water to keep the apples afloat.
• Mix up the sugar with the spices
• Layer the fruit and sugar artfully in the slow cooker or just throw it all in
• Cook for 3-4 hours on high or 5-6 hours on low

Uses:

• With Greek yoghurt, , nuts and/or seeds
• Straight on your cereal or porridge
• As a base for an apple crumble.

Keeps for a time in the fridge or for a longer time in the freezer.