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Farm Kitchen:  Granny Smith Apples . . .help!!  |
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gardenmouse
Farmgirl in Training
24 Posts
Beth
Porterville
CA
USA
24 Posts |
 Posted - Aug 11 2013 : 12:15:54 PM
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I'm sure this has been a common thread over the years, so here we go again. My Granny Smith apple tree is about ready to be picked and there is a huge crop this year. Last year we canned bunches of pie filling; I've also done crockpot apple butter. Thinking about dehydrating some rings this year. Is this a good type of apple to dehydrate or are they too tart?
I'd appreciate any and all suggestions along with instructions. (I can do just about anything as long as there are good instructions.) I also saw an apple bread recipe somewhere online . . . sounds yummy. |
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levisgrammy
True Blue Farmgirl
9380 Posts
Denise
Beavercreek
Ohio
USA
9380 Posts |
Posted - Aug 11 2013 : 12:21:00 PM
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Granny Smith is an excellent apple to dehydrate. To keep them from discoloring I always put them in a bowl and sprinkle some fruit fresh on them or you can use lemon juice. Love the Granny Smiths!
Denise
Farmgirl Sister #43
"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path."
Psalm 119:105
http://www.ladybugsandlilacs.blogspot.com/
http://www.torisgram.etsy.com |
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gardenmouse
Farmgirl in Training
24 Posts
Beth
Porterville
CA
USA
24 Posts |
Posted - Aug 11 2013 : 12:32:27 PM
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Thanks, Denise. I will definitely give that a try. I purchased ascorbic acid last year so I will use that.
Looking for a good spiced apple canning recipe . . . |
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Red Tractor Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
6615 Posts
Winnie
Gainesville
Fl
USA
6615 Posts |
Posted - Aug 11 2013 : 2:38:19 PM
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Ohhh, I am so jealous!!! I would give anything for a Granny Smith Apple Tree in my yard loaded down with yummy apples! Alas, apples don't like the Florida heat. We are orange country which is also quite lovely. But, I am an apple freak and I dream about one day having my own apple tree in the yard. Whatever you make will be fabulous. Enjoy the process for this Farmgirl!!
Winnie #3109
Red Tractor Girl |
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Montrose Girl
Farmgirl Legend/Schoolmarm
1360 Posts
Laurie
Montrose
CO
1360 Posts |
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FieldsofThyme
Farmgirl Guide & Schoolmarm / Chapter Leader
4928 Posts
USA
4928 Posts |
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gardenmouse
Farmgirl in Training
24 Posts
Beth
Porterville
CA
USA
24 Posts |
Posted - Aug 12 2013 : 6:40:49 PM
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Winnie, I don't think apples like our extreme heat (up to 110 degrees this year) either, but this tree is in protected area where it gets shade during the hottest part of the day. It's also on the edge of our lawn so it gets water every time the grass gets water. Citrus is a major crop here, too.
Laurie, our Granny Smith's come off fairly early here. I was looking back at last year, and we made our apple pie filling the first week of September. They are still a little green so I'm going to wait another couple of weeks. We are in drought conditions here and as a result, the apples are smaller this year, about tennis ball size.
Kristina, that caramel apple jam sounds yummy. Do you have a recipe? |
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FieldsofThyme
Farmgirl Guide & Schoolmarm / Chapter Leader
4928 Posts
USA
4928 Posts |
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Cissik
True Blue Farmgirl
579 Posts
Sylvia
Kent
WA
USA
579 Posts |
Posted - Aug 22 2013 : 3:43:34 PM
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I have a wild apple tree that I treasure. It looks like a golden delicious but we quickly learned you must pick them green. When they turn yellow, they are mushy and tasteless. Each year as our summer's are getting hotter, the apples are ready earlier and earlier. I just finished doing the last batch. These were made into pie filling and frozen. I had packed the canner back into the canning closet. it's called whew! I'll be doing more canning, but this apple crop is done! My favorite apple is the Gravenstein. It's so hard to find here. Anyone know of a source?
Sylvia
Kent, WA
Farm Girl #5389
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whispering pines
True Blue Farmgirl
428 Posts
patricia
sedro woolley
wa
USA
428 Posts |
Posted - Aug 22 2013 : 9:23:32 PM
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Sylvia, do you freeze the apples raw?
"It's not what I do, but how I do it!"~Mae West~ |
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FieldsofThyme
Farmgirl Guide & Schoolmarm / Chapter Leader
4928 Posts
USA
4928 Posts |
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Calicogirl
True Blue Farmgirl
5216 Posts
Sharon
Bruce Crossing
Michigan
USA
5216 Posts |
Posted - Sep 03 2013 : 5:02:24 PM
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I have a recipe for a Green Chili Apple Cobbler if you would like :)
Farmgirl Sister #5392
By His Grace, For His Glory
~Sharon
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gardenmouse
Farmgirl in Training
24 Posts
Beth
Porterville
CA
USA
24 Posts |
Posted - Sep 03 2013 : 5:24:39 PM
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| Well, we had a canning party over the weekend. My sis-in-law and a friend came over to help out on Saturday. When the day was done, we had 31 pints of spiced apples and 25 half pints of caramel apple jam. It was a busy day, and my legs still hurt. Then yesterday I made a batch of carrot cake jam, not an apple recipe, but it was so yummy. |
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FieldsofThyme
Farmgirl Guide & Schoolmarm / Chapter Leader
4928 Posts
USA
4928 Posts |
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gardenmouse
Farmgirl in Training
24 Posts
Beth
Porterville
CA
USA
24 Posts |
Posted - Sep 06 2013 : 6:31:28 PM
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| Kristina, don't worry about the delay. I know we're all busy. I found a good recipe online, but I'm looking forward to seeing yours on your blog. But thanks for the idea; I'd never heard of caramel apple jam before. |
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country treasure
True Blue Farmgirl
452 Posts
judy
SK
Canada
452 Posts |
Posted - Sep 06 2013 : 7:23:35 PM
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Hi Beth,
Any chance of your 2 recipes....they both sound so yummy!
After lemon juice I lightly sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture then dry apple rings. grannies make pretty apple wreaths too.
Thanks Judy
country wishes! |
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gardenmouse
Farmgirl in Training
24 Posts
Beth
Porterville
CA
USA
24 Posts |
Posted - Sep 07 2013 : 08:36:39 AM
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Judy, here are the recipes. I got them both online, and I wish I had noted the sources so I could give credit where credit is due.
The caramel apple jam recipe was followed exactly except for the pectin. I misread the amount and used only 1.75 ounces of pectin, and it turned out just fine. But next time I will either use a sweeter apple or mix half granny apples and half sweeter apples.
Caramel Apple Jam
8 half-pint canning jars with lids and rings
8 cups Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored, and chopped
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon butter
3 cups brown sugar
2 cups white sugar
1 1/2 (1.75 ounce) packages powdered (I used a total of 1.75 ounces of pectin)
fruit pectin
1 tablespoon clear butter flavoring (I used Lorann's Vanilla Butter from WalMart)
1. Sterilize the jars and lids in boiling water for at least 5 minutes.
2. Bring apples, water, and butter to a boil in a large pot. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until apples are softened, about 8 minutes. Mix in brown sugar, white sugar, pectin powder, and butter flavoring. Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring often. Cook at a boil for 2 minutes without stirring.
3. Pack the apple jam into the hot, sterilized jars, filling the jars to within 1/4 inch of the top. Run a knife or a thin spatula around the insides of the jars after they have been filled to remove any air bubbles. Wipe the rims of the jars with a moist paper towel to remove any food residue. Top with lids and screw on rings.
4. Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil and lower jars into the boiling water using a holder. Leave a 2-inch space between the jars. Pour in more boiling water if necessary to bring the water level to at least 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Bring the water to a rolling boil, cover the pot, and process for 15 minutes.
5. Remove the jars from the stockpot and place onto a cloth-covered or wood surface, several inches apart, until cool. Once cool, press the top of each lid with a finger, ensuring that the seal is tight (lid does not move up or down at all). Let stand 8 hours to overnight before use. Store in a cool, dark area; refrigerate opened jars.
For this carrot cake jam recipe, I added an extra 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (I like cinnamon) and about 1/4 cup extra of shredded carrots and chopped pears. That way it made an even 8 half pints.
Carrot Cake Jam
1 can {20 ounces} unsweetened crushed pineapple, undrained
1-1/2 cups shredded carrots
1-1/2 cups chopped peeled ripe pears
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 package {1-3/4 ounces} powdered fruit pectin
6-1/2 cups sugar
Bring a boiling-water canner, 3/4 full with water, to simmer. Wash jars and screw bands in hot soapy water; rinse with warm water. Pour boiling water over flat lids in saucepan off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to use. Drain well before filling.
In a 6 – 8 quart sauce pot, combine the first seven ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until the pears are tender. Stir occasionally so nothing sticks to the pan. Remove from the sauce pan from the heat, and stir in pectin.
Bring mixture to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Slowly stir in the sugar and return to a full rolling for 1 minute, making sure to stir constantly to avoid boiling over. Remove from heat and skim off any foam with metal spoon.
Ladle immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. {Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add boiling water, if necessary.} Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Process 10 min. Remove jars and place upright on towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middles of lids with finger. If lids spring back, lids are not sealed and refrigeration is necessary}. Yields {7} 1/2 pints.
Enjoy!
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Lanna
True Blue Farmgirl
330 Posts
Lanna
A little town in Idaho
330 Posts |
Posted - Sep 07 2013 : 1:42:14 PM
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I'd go hit Costco for some of their flat boxes (think like the ones the boxes of grapes/tomatoes come in) to put the Granny Smiths in, just in one layer, and stick out in cool room (for me, it's my garage come October when we start burning firewood again). And then just use them as need be, also giving myself some time to can 'em later on.
That said... I've made cinnamon-sugar dehydrated apple slices before. Yum, yum, yum. Everyone I've given some to also thinks they're candy. :D The variety I used at the time for dehydrating was Empire (my orchard guy had a glut) and they don't need any soaking to retain their color, but I bet you could get a similar end product with Granny Smiths.
I've also just canned straight up plain apple slices. Then I can drain 'em, chop 'em, and use for muffins/breads/apple crisp/apple pies - much more multipurpose for me than the glop of apple pie filling.
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Lanna, homeschooling mama to four little monkeys that still try to jump on the bed |
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gardenmouse
Farmgirl in Training
24 Posts
Beth
Porterville
CA
USA
24 Posts |
Posted - Sep 07 2013 : 1:50:12 PM
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There are no signs of cooling here yet. It's supposed to get up to
a little over 100 here today. Even our basement is warm and humid. I think I'll try the dehydrated apples rings though. They sound yummy. |
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Rosemary
True Blue Farmgirl
1825 Posts
Virginia
USA
1825 Posts |
Posted - Sep 07 2013 : 8:53:05 PM
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| Do you make apple jelly? That would blow my skirt up for sure ;) |
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Okie Farm Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
1674 Posts
Mary Beth
McLoud
Oklahoma
USA
1674 Posts |
Posted - Sep 08 2013 : 09:24:43 AM
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This is one of our favorite things to do with apples like Granny Smith:
3 1/2 lbs apples sliced cored and peeled
2 cups white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
Pretreat apples with Fruit Fresh or lemon juice.
In a large bowl combine sugars and cinnamon.
Drain apples and toss in the sugar mixture.
Dehydrate in a dehydrator at around 130º, turning
halfway through the process. Pack in jars and vacuum seal. Wonderful and healthy snack!
Mary Beth
www.OklahomaPastryCloth.com
www.Oklahomapastrycloth.com/blog
The Sovereign Lord is my strength - Habakkuk 3:19 |
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gardenmouse
Farmgirl in Training
24 Posts
Beth
Porterville
CA
USA
24 Posts |
Posted - Sep 08 2013 : 11:31:42 AM
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| Thanks, Mary Beth. I'm getting ready to do a second batch of dried apples in a few minutes. Yesterday I made a batch with just the granulated sugar and cinnamon and they turned out great. I'll add the brown sugar today. |
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gardenmouse
Farmgirl in Training
24 Posts
Beth
Porterville
CA
USA
24 Posts |
Posted - Sep 08 2013 : 11:33:19 AM
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Rosemary, I've never made apple jelly. I've made crockpot apple butter, and it turned out pretty good.
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Lanna
True Blue Farmgirl
330 Posts
Lanna
A little town in Idaho
330 Posts |
Posted - Sep 08 2013 : 1:30:55 PM
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I've made apple jelly too, but we have yet to use it (was going to use it for homemade poptarts which haven't been baked yet). I just used the syrupy liquid leftover from steaming all my apples (strained the seeds and such out first) for applesauce though (steaming in my 10-qt corn pot takes *so* much less time that boiling, it's lovely).
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Lanna, homeschooling mama to four little monkeys that still try to jump on the bed |
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Farm Kitchen: Granny Smith Apples . . .help!! |
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Granny Smith Apples . . .help!!
