I have just picked a few apples from a tree but no idea what they are should they be ok for cooking ? I'm thinking jam or chutney ?

Hope this may help

http://www.orangepippin.com/varietyindex2.aspx

Think the best way is to take a bite! If they are tart/slightly sour, all green & bigger they are probably cookers.

I'd go for chutney every time (Mamta's got several recipes) but you'd really need more than a few apples to make it worth your while. For just a couple of apples you could make apple sauce adjusting the sugar to taste?

If you just have a few, make an apple crumble. I sometimes add a bit of lemon juice, if the apples are too sweet.

I've got a small bag of them.. small tangerine sized apples, that I think might be a little bit early (but when you stumble across and apple tree that is wild and free, beggars can't be choosers).. I'm willing to make a single jar of chutney out of them... (I think... lol)

Steve

Well using sheer guess work and imagination... I've got something cooking in the pan.... not exactly sure what its going to come out like but so far it tastes well.... The apples were a little dry though so I'm not sure if they are going to breakdown into a good sauce or not.... either way I'll be happy...

Steve

Well it all seemed to work out well, just made it and had it on cheese sandwiches...

Apple and Onion chutney

Steve

Wow Steve, they are certainly two "door stoppers" of Sandwiches!

lol, the bread is only a small granary type loaf so each slice is only about the same size as the palm of my hand...

Steve

Looks good, will taste even better if you can stay off the jar for a couple of months ;-)!

Mamta

I never think about it maturing... (its not going to get the chance though)... lol

Steve

I have just found 2 jars of green apple chutney from last year on one of the shleves, it is lovely! make more and keep some for next month :-)!

Mamta

I finally have opened a jar of my Mother's Runner Bean Chutney found when I was cleaning out a kitchen cupboard. I'd kept it until this month for its tenth year anniversary (it was marked August 1999!)

It really is "vintage" with a lovely deep rich flavour. Shows we should perhaps be 'laying down' our chutneys like fine wines?

Wow that must have been well made and very correctly jarred !

I can only imagine what it must be like...

Steve

I have half a jar of Mango Chutney, which was made at least 20 years ago. Since I gave up eating mangoes, it has been sitting the in the back of the cupboard. It look so dark and rich, lovely. The evryday Lemon Pickle, you would probably call is preserved lemons, also gets better with each passing year.

It is definitel worth making a few extra jars and keeping them. Perhaps one shoul open one each year, to see for how long it keeps getting better.

Mamta

When you consider pickling, jams and such have been around for hundreds? of years... long before science was as advanced as it is today.. its surprising how right the past generations have got it with things like this if they can last for a year, 5 years and maybe even 20 !

Steve

I suppose food preservation is the "first technology" known to man from prehistory from drying to burying food, essential for man's own preservation in winter.

Since then our ancestors have been sun & air drying, smoking, salting, pickling, sugaring, curing, canning (as in Kilner jars) food to name just a few! Even harnessing 'good' yeasts and moulds - fermentation (bread/wine) to cheese making.

Seems such a shame these great crafts are an increasing rarity, at the least in the West, simply all down to 'fridge;' "freezer" and "Air Miles."