344. Lobbing Apples At The Postman

The thing about fruit trees – a good thing admittedly – is that even a smallish tree is likely to provide copious amounts of fruit. In particular, apples, pears and plums. Two trees or more, and unless you’re the old woman who lives in a shoe, you’re going to struggle to use them.

You’ve eaten them for breakfast, lunch and dessert, and snacks in-between. You’ve made pies and crumbles and tarts and charlotte and tarte tatin. You’ve baked muffins and cakes. You’ve jarred up sauces and chutneys and jams. You’ve made fool, fritters and finicky pastries. You’ve brewed wine and made liqueurs. You’ve stored them on every shelf in the garage and you’ve risked botulism to put them in huge jars. You’ve covered them in toffee and shoved them on sticks. You’ve stewed, baked, puréed and fried them. You’ve bobbed them. Lambasted them. You’ve jumped up and down on them and pressed them into juice. You’ve given them away, lobbed them at the postman and thrown them for the dog.

           What should or could you do with the three tonnes that are left?

How about drying them?

For the last few years, I have been drying top fruit in my oven. The results are delicious (intense, surprisingly – although maybe not on reflection) and store very well – kitchen cupboards are fine. They are excellent in pack lunches and always impress the mother-in-law.

(Labour aside) if you have solar panels, making them can be free. One very useful device is an apple peeler / ringer / corer (£10 on Amazon – see photo). This cunning gadget is very useful in its own right (NB makes for a great Christmas present). Children love it.

 Apple rings
1.    On a sunny day (if you have solar panels)
2.    Core and ring 20ish apples (I don’t peel them – that’s where much of the goodness is)
3.    Arrange the rings on racks in the oven at 50C (or lower if your oven does it)
4.    Check after 2 hours (the apple rings in the photo were left for 3 hours which was a tad too long)
5.    Remove and leave to dry, ideally in a boiler room
6.    Store in paper bags in a kitchen cupboard

 


Plum halves
     1.    On a sunny day (if you have solar panels)
2.    Halve and stone 50 or so plums
3.    Arrange halves on racks in the oven at 50C (or lower if your oven does it)
4.    Turn off heat after 6 hours
5.    Remove overnight and leave to dry, ideally in a boiler room
6.    The next day, put back in the oven for another 6 hours. Possibly less.
7.    Again, remove overnight and leave to dry, ideally in a boiler room
8.    Store in paper bags in a kitchen cupboard

 Happy drying!
            And, if you are the old woman who lives in a shoe, then please get in touch. I’ll send you some.

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