The Poultry Keeper

mojo · Posted: Fri Aug 18, 2006 2:12 pm Post subject: apples and pears

ok clever clogs .help needed........we hav e kilos of windfall apples and pears which we are cleaning,cooking and freezing ........anyone got any other ideas what to do with them......no cider making.........eatables please Laughing

Lisa · Posted: Fri Aug 18, 2006 6:33 pm Post subject:

What about fruit juice? I've not idea how to do it at home, but I've seen you can buy (expensive) bottles of various fruit juices, rather than the stuff in a carton. I think I read of people using some sort of steamer to get the juice out. Maybe it was on either the river cottage or downsizer forum... sorry, can't remember Confused

Just thinking if you can bottle/preserve fruit you must be able to bottle fruit juice too Razz

Now you just need someone who knows how to do it Laughing

Itsybitsy · Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 1357 Location: Leicestershire

You need to press the fruit for juice or you can get extractors but I only know about pressing, the fruit (apples or pears) need to be milled first - passed through a mincer like object as not even hydraulics can press juice from a whole apple, then it needs pressing to extract the juice, the fruit is wrapped in a special blanket - hessian sacking used to be used and then pressed under weights, a lot of trouble if you don't have the equipment, it can be bought of course as most things can. When the juice is extracted it needs to be heated and bottled in sealable bottles straight away, if it's not done properly it will ferment with the possibility of the bottles exploding.

Changing the subject completely I bottle any surplus fruit these days. Modern jars - jam etc all have sealable lids all you need do is prepare your fruit - peel stone etc and then cook it, cooking apples I do in the microwave till they are pulp (no water) and then jar straight away, wipe the rim and screw lid on tight. Plums and other such again need to be cooked (a tiny drop of water) and jard while the fruit is bubbling, fruit to retain it's shape - pears etc need to be poached with your favourite spice in a sugar syrup and continue as above. It's so much easier to open a jar than have to think several hours before and get it out of the freezer, saves freezer space too, you just need loads of jars with good lids, the lids will reuse, I've got several I've been using for years they only go if they get a bash or start to rust.

Itsybitsy Wink

Spana · Joined: 30 Apr 2005 Posts: 2130 Location: North Cornwall

What about apple chutney, blackberry and apple jelly or jam, apple cheese, apple sorbet, apple and sultana cake.

mojo · Posted: Thu Aug 24, 2006 9:47 am Post subject:

chutney recipe please done all the others thanks again

poultry poofs · Posted: Thu Aug 24, 2006 12:25 pm Post subject:

You can get fruit steamers I have one I bought years ago and works perfectly for juice extraction.I bought mine form a wine and home brew shop.My dad made a fruit press which I still have.The fruit is chopped wrapped in muslin cloth and layed on a slatted wooden rack plate.Each rack of fruit is layered.The whole stack on a purpose built frame of angle and is pressed using nothing more unusual than a 2-5 ton bottle jack for a car.Works brilliantly.The pulp is almost bone dry and great for digging into the garden or composting.
I prefer the bottling of fruit its taste is fresher,it seems to lose something in the freezer.If the fruit is filled to the top to overflowing almost to exclude all the air it keeps for ages.

Also tried storing stuff like veg by salting stuff like beans and that works great too.Just need to wash well a few times an hour before use.Eaten french beans this way and they were almost as fresh as they were picked

rich

rich

rubychik · Posted: Thu Aug 24, 2006 1:31 pm Post subject:

you can also make fruit leather, better than sweets too when the grandkids come over!

you don't need a dehydrator, just use the oven! There are a couple of link here that may be of interest:-

http://www.ehow.com/how_3446_make-stir-fried.html

http://www.spokane-county.wsu.edu/food/season3.htm

Ruby

Itsybitsy · Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 1357 Location: Leicestershire

Sweet Chutney

2 pints Vinegar - malt or cider's quite good
4lbs apples, peeled & cored
8oz chopped onion

Boil together till apple have pureed and onions are soft, leave to cool, preferably overnight.

3lbs demerara sugar
1lb raisins
1lb currants
salt to your taste
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons ground ginger

Add to vinegar/apple mixture & simmer gently till excess liquid has reduced, place in jars.

Itsybitsy Wink

mojo · Posted: Thu Aug 24, 2006 7:55 pm Post subject: chutney

thanks folks ...........mojo