"A" is for applesauce, apple cake, apple pie and tarts

10/17/12 Cook’s Corner

Betty Kaiser

There are many good things to be said about things living on the West Coast. One of those is that from now until the end of the year, we have a wide variety of local and almost local fresh fruits and vegetables to choose. For-instance, this month, Oregon and Washington State are churning out bushels of a variety of apples.

I grew up in the era when Red Delicious apples were our only choice for eating fresh. Romas were the choice for baking. Green Gravensteins were the choice for applesauce. Today, the choices are practically unlimited and right now, the apples are very fresh.

My husband’s favorite eating apple remains the Red Delicious. I prefer my apples a little less sweet but not sour. Some of my favorites are Fujis, Galas and the Honeycrisp variety. Cooking apples for baking pies, shredding in cakes or canning in applesauce call for different varieties entirely. I like to mix two or three varieties to get just the right balance of texture with a sweet-tart taste.

This year our Spitzenberg and Gravenstein trees produced enough fruit for us and the birds. But used alone, they’re a little tart for my taste. For baking, I mix them with either Jonathan, McIntosh, Golden Delicious or whatever else I can find on sale. Sometimes Detering Orchards in Harrisburg has mixed culls that you can mix and match.

My fall cooking projects always begin with homemade applesauce. (I like to get anything to do with the canner out of the way.) By itself, applesauce is simple to make but time-consuming. I have to be in a really good mood to hunker down and produce a couple of dozen jars. The first thing that you need is ripe apples. Two pounds of apples will equal about 6 medium apples or 6 cups of sliced apples.

I wash them and set aside. Then, it’s nice if you have someone who is willing to help peel them. Believe it or not, my husband likes to help because it involves a tool. Years ago I picked up a vintage apple peeler at a garage sale. You place an apple on the spindle fork, turn the crank and the apple is cored, peeled and dropped into cold water with a bit of lemon or Fruit Fresh; drain and follow the recipe below.

Right now apples are at their peak of quality. So have one for a snack. Dry some for the future. Make your favorite pie or cake. But trust me…once you start making your own applesauce you’ll never want to eat the commercial stuff again. Enjoy!

BASIC APPLE SAUCE

20 large apples

3-4 cups water (or 2 cups cider+2 cups water)

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 cups sugar (more if needed)

2 teaspoons cinnamon (if desired)

Wash apples. Quarter, core, peel and remove all bruised or decayed parts. Drop into mild salt solution to prevent discoloration. Drain. Put apples, water and lemon juice into a large, deep pan and cook on medium-high heat until soft. Stir constantly until mixture reaches a boil. Apples burn easily as the liquid evaporates.

As the apples soften, take a potato masher and stir as you mash. If the sauce seems too thick, add more water. If it’s too thin, cook down a little longer until it is desired consistency. Add sugar one-half cup at a time, stirring and tasting after every addition, until desired sweetness is obtained. Remove from heat. Add cinnamon.

Pack while hot into canning jars to within 1/2-inch of top. Put on caps, screw on the lids and process according to your canner’s instructions. Makes about 4-6 pints.

Note: The ratio of apples to liquid is tricky. More liquid is better than not enough. I put apples in the pan and then add enough liquid to come at least halfway up the fruit (depending on how dry the fruit is).

TWO CRUST APPLE PIE

Make pastry for 2-crust pie filling (9-inch)

Pie Filling:

6-8 large apples (your choice), sliced

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

2 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 425° F.

Mix apples, cinnamon and nutmeg together. Place in pie shell. Dot with butter. Cover with top crust. Seal and flute. Cut slits in top. Bake until crust is nicely browned and apples are cooked through. Serve warm topped with vanilla ice cream. Serves 6-8.

RUSTIC APPLE TART

Make recipe as above but roll the pie crust on baking parchment into a 15-inch circle. Slide crust (with parchment) onto a baking sheet. Pile the apple filling on top of the crust, leaving a 3-inch border. Fold the border over the apples. Prick crust lightly. Mix 1 tablespoon sugar with 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon. Sprinkle the entire pie with the cinnamon-sugar. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the apples are tender. Let stand about 30 minutes before serving. Serves

GERMAN APPLE MINI-CHIP CAKE

3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup bottled apple juice
2 tsp. vanilla
3 cups flour, not sifted
1-3/4 cups sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon (or to taste)
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
3 cups diced peeled tart apples
1 cup chocolate chips
3/4 cup nuts, optional

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Slightly beat eggs in bowl. Add oil, apple juice, vanilla; beat. In separate bowl, combine dry ingredients. Slowly add dry ingredients to liquid, beating constantly, until thick. Add apples, chips, nuts; mix.

Pour into greased and floured pan. Bake in Bundt pan, 65-70 minutes or 9x13-inch pan 35-40 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, remove from Bundt pan, and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Can be served directly from 9X13 pan. Serves 12.

Keep it simple and keep it seasonal! 

Betty Kaiser’s Cook’s Corner is dedicated to sharing a variety of recipes 

that are delicious, family oriented and easy to prepare.