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Storing ApplesTips for Storing Whole Apples, Freezing Apple Sauce and Dehydrating
Nothing evokes the feeling of fall like the smell and taste of a good crisp apple. Here are three easy ways to store them and preserve that taste.
Storing apples whole gives you plenty of options when it comes to eating them: as they are, baked as a side dish, baked in a pie. But whole apple storage takes up a lot of space, so you might consider drying apples or freezing some of them as applesauce. Whatever method you choose, you'll be able to enjoy their taste deep into the winter months. Storing Apples Whole• Store apples at a constant temperature--and the cooler the better, down to 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Cellars and basements work well, as do unheated closets or pantries with an outside wall on the north side of the house. The storage drawer in a refrigerator is an excellent choice if you can spare the space. Steer clear of the garage. Even though the garage may be unheated, temperatures tend to fluctuate too much for good apple storage. • Wrap apples individually in one-quarter sheets of newsprint to keep them from touching each other. Bruising and coming in contact with an apple with a rotten spot can spoil the whole bunch. Freezing Applesauce• Wash, pare, core and slice the apples. Using a pare-and-core tool, such as the one sold by Pampered Chef, makes this not only easy, but fun. Put the apples in a heavy kettle, turn the heat on low, and let them cook down for several hours. Add a half cup of water in the beginning to keep them from sticking. When tender, run them through the blender or puree them in the kettle using an immersible blender. • Apples may also be washed, cut into chunks, and cooked, as above. When tender, force them through a sieve to remove the peeling and seeds. • Pour the sauce into individual serving size freezer containers or freeze in muffin tins. Remove from the tins after 24-hours by inverting the tin and running water over the bottom of it. The applesauce will loosen and the individual servings can then be stored all together in a plastic bag in the freezer and removed as needed. Dehydrating Apples• Wash, pare, core and thinly slice the apples as you would for making sauce. Place them on racks to be dried in a food dehydrator or on old CLEAN window screens to be dried outside, sheltered from rain and freezing temperatures. • They can also be strung and hung to dry the way our great grandparents did it. Thread a clean needle with strong thread, doubled, and string as you would cranberries and popcorn for making garlands. Thread on a small disk of cardboard, with the thread knot on one side of the cardboard and the apples on the other to keep the knot from pulling through the bottommost apple slice. Leave space between each slice to allow air circulation. Hang in a cool, dry place. • Check apples daily. When dry but still soft, unstring them and store in plastic bags.
The copyright of the article Storing Apples in Seasonal Cooking is owned by Robyn Harrison. Permission to republish Storing Apples in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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