Apples Everywhere!

Appley Dapply, a little brown mouse
Goes to the cupboard in somebody's house.

In somebody's cupboard
There's everything nice,
Cake, cheese, jam, biscuits,
-- All charming for mice!

Appley Dapply has little sharp eyes,
And Appley Dapply is so fond of pies!

Beatrix Potter

, , , ,But no apples it would seem!



I don't know about you but I have apples everywhere and whilst I like to make Spiced_ Apple Chutney and dry some apple rings, maybe make some fruit leather - there are times in the preserving week when I want to make something a little bit different. So I did.

I made some of my Apple, Sage and Cider Sauce. It is quite quick to make and tastes absolutely delicious. It keeps in the fridge for a couple of months or you can extend the shelf life to a year by doing the thing with the pan of water and a J cloth i.e. you need to sterilise in a waterbath which I have shown before but I will put a few pics here to remind you. First, the recipe.

2 onions, peeled and chopped
1.5kg cooking apples, peeled and chopped
150g white sugar
20 fresh sage leaves
375 ml of any kind of cider
5g butter
20ml olive oil

Prepare the onion and apples - no need to fuss over chopping as they will be going through the food processor. Melt the oil and butter in a large pan and cook the onion and apple gently for around 5 minutes. Add the cider, sugar and the sage leaves - snip these with scissors into the pan to roughly chop. Cook on gently until the apple is really soft.

Then leave to cool slightly before putting through a food processor (preferable) or rubbing through a sieve (hard work.)

Pour the sauce into wide necked bottles, which of course, you have previously washed and sterilised by drying in a warm oven.

I like to use our 250ml Bevanto bottles which I find to be just the right size and pour beautifully.

Now, it seems the pics of the bottles sterilising are still on the camera card - which is at work - so I will add them tomorrow. In the meantime think about giving this sauce a go - it has a delicious flavour. 'What can we eat with Rosie', you cry. Well, lots of things but I like it best with fish fingers. There I've said it. You, no doubt have goujons but it would be just as good. 

For those of you waiting for information on our new pans - the good news is they have docked at Felixstowe, the bad news is they are with Customs. I very much hope they will be with us by the end of the week and if so, you will be the first to know. There will be competitions, giveaways and special price deals so check back when you can. Even at the 'proper' price they will be a bargain!