The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Growing => Fruit => Topic started by: Carse Goodlifers on October 18, 2015, 12:39:39 pm

Title: Storing Cooking Apples
Post by: Carse Goodlifers on October 18, 2015, 12:39:39 pm

I'm wondering if anyone has ever frozen cooking apples before?
I've been reading that you can freeze them but just looking for anyone's experiences of doing it.

We only have about a dozen large apples from the tree this year and I'm the only one who eats them in the house so I thought that it might be easier to freeze them than to keep them in the shed.

Title: Re: Storing Cooking Apples
Post by: waterbuffalofarmer on October 18, 2015, 01:21:11 pm

you can freeze apples, what i do is stew them, cool them and then freeze em in freezer bags. I can then just get them out 1 bag at a time for whatever I need.

Title: Re: Storing Cooking Apples
Post by: Louise Gaunt on October 18, 2015, 02:07:02 pm

I have frozen them as Apple pieces- peel, core, cut into segments, into water with lemon juice to stop them going brow, open freeze on trays and then pack into boxes or bags when frozen. It means you can use just as many or few pieces at a time as you need.

Title: Re: Storing Cooking Apples
Post by: Caroline1 on October 18, 2015, 09:33:34 pm

I have only frozen as Apple sauce but the chunky versions have defrosted well

Title: Re: Storing Cooking Apples
Post by: Dans on October 19, 2015, 07:06:45 pm

Quote from: Louise Gaunt on October 18, 2015, 02:07:02 pm

I have frozen them as Apple pieces- peel, core, cut into segments, into water with lemon juice to stop them going brow, open freeze on trays and then pack into boxes or bags when frozen. It means you can use just as many or few pieces at a time as you need.

How much water/lemon juice did you need. Got quite a few cooking apples that have fallen or have a small worm hole so will be fine cut up and frozen.

Dans

Title: Re: Storing Cooking Apples
Post by: Lesley Silvester on October 20, 2015, 12:00:02 am

I just dip them in water and lemon juice to stop them going  brown before I stew them.

Title: Re: Storing Cooking Apples
Post by: pgkevet on October 20, 2015, 04:27:59 pm

Quote from: Mad Goatwoman of Madeley on October 20, 2015, 12:00:02 am

I just dip them in water and lemon juice to stop them going  brown before I stew them.

As per my old mum .. I stew them with lemon zest and some juice.

Title: Re: Storing Cooking Apples
Post by: cloddopper on October 28, 2015, 12:09:19 am

Once sliced up we , dip, drain & deep freeze at minus 21 oC  in heat sealed vac packed bags ,  using a light white sugar solution that has a fair lemon juice content as well to stop them oxidising ( going brown ).

Title: Re: Storing Cooking Apples
Post by: Louise Gaunt on October 28, 2015, 09:07:47 am

Sorry Dans for not replying, missed your question. Usually juice from one lemon to a 4 pint stainless steel bowl about 2/3 full,of water. it doesn't completely stop.the apples going brown, but they froze well and having frozen them open to start with,I could use just how much I needed out of the bag or box they were frozen in.

Title: Re: Storing Cooking Apples
Post by: Carse Goodlifers on October 28, 2015, 05:01:50 pm

Thanks folks for all the comments - much appreciated.
I like Louise's way of tray freezing them.
It looks like a job for the weekend.