I've had a look at Jack's wonderfully helpful apple chart, thank you. But do any of the varieties there have the same cooking properties as Bramleys, ie, melt into a puddle of apple-y sludge when cooked?

Otherwise I'll ditch the apple sponge and apple crumble* for this winter and concentrate on Tarte Tatin, which I would hopefully have to make many times to get perfect...

kodokan

*Crumble topping: add a handful of porridge oats and some ground almonds to the usual topping mix to boost taste and texture.

I'm still not entirely happy with the crust but the thin marzipan layer sure adds a kick to the proceedings:

http://argusworld.blogspot.com/2008/...ter-after.html


If anyone has a great made-from-scratch crust or pie pastry recipe, please let me know.

Thanks for having a look...Early season apples in Switzerland will be filled with acid and rather crunchy...as they sit around in storage for awhile, they will take on some different characteristics... I've never had the privilege of eating a Bramley apple, so I can't completely help you out. I would, however, recommend the Boskop apples in about one month...right now they are great for eating and some cooking...later they will tend to melt a bit more...

Hope this helps...
Jack

I make sweet pie crusts several ways, but here is the one I usually use... Sift together 65 gr. of powdered sugar, 250 gr. all-purpose flour (I use Coop Bio Weissmehl) and a pinch of salt. Beat together 1 egg and 1 egg yolk and reserve. Work 180 gr. of cold butter into the flour mixture with your fingers until the mixture is coarse. Add the egg mixture and briefly mix together until the dough holds together. Form into a disk and refrigerate for one hour or more... To blind bake, I roll out the dough on a floured surface until it is several centimeters larger than a 24-cm pie pan. I place the dough into the lightly buttered pan, then prick the dough with a fork. I add pie weights (I use dried beans on parchment paper) and bake the dough for 25 minutes in a 180 degree oven (no fan). Remove the pie shell, take off the weights, then lightly egg wash the shell. Bake further 7-10 minutes, then let it cool...

Hope this helps...

I think we have Boskops in the kitchen at the moment - are they russet-looking, green with slightly blotchy brown skins, and a fabulous really sharp taste?

If so, they would work on taste and wouldn't need too much sugar (Bramleys are much sharper, inedible raw even for me), so I'll give them a try on texture.

Thanks a lot.

kodokan

Well just a quick update on the Jam. I made it last night and its so simple. Basically just mash up and heat.

500g strawberries
250g gelierzucker (Jam sugar)
one or two drops of vanilla essence.

Basically mashed up the strawberries with the sugar leaving some larger pieces for texture in the Jam. Then heated it to boiling and then simmered for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and skim off any foam or scum that forms on top. Pour into jam jars and allow to cool completely before popping in the fridge.

That was it basically and I had really nice homemade strawberry jam for brekkie

Exactly...but unfortunately, your description is also apt for many other varieties... The Boskops are very intense this time of year (just bought some this morning)...another to try are the Cox Orange...a little smaller, but stunning in their flavor and sharpness...For best results...try and go to the market and find a vendor selling lots of their own apples...
Good luck...

Here's another tip on apples...especially nice sour ones found early in the year...they are great when scented with rosemary...

Enjoy...

I question I hope somebody can answer.

I have an apple tree in my garden which results in my having to clear about 2 to 3 buckets of apples off the lawn every week. Obviously the apples are useless when they've been on the ground. How do you actually pick apples? Is there a quick way to do it from ground level?

My Mother and Father-In-Law were here last week and they brought a bag of bramley apples over with them... and now my wifes cousin is staying and she brought some over too!

Of course we tried looking around the fruit and veg stalls for them, but couldn't find any... So they obliged!

all of this apple crumble will make me fat(er)

They're not useless once they've been on the ground - just cut out the bruised bits and use them for cooking. Of course, you'll end up with masses more than any reasonable person could ever use up in recipes. Do you live somewhere where you could stick a 'help yourself to windfalls' box by the side of the road?

Anyway, on to 'how to pick apples you can't reach'. I assume you don't have a ladder, else why ask?!

Take a big plastic drink bottle - 1.5 litre, I think - and cut off the bottom third. Get a broom handle (without the brushy bit) and stick it inside the neck of the bottle - you're trying to create something that's the shape of a tulip, but with a veerrrry long stalk, if you see what I mean. Tape the bottle onto the stick. Put a soft cloth inside the bottle, for the apples to land on.

Go outside, push your bottle/stick combo over a high apple, give the twig it's attached to a joggle, and if it's ripe it will drop off into the bottle (landing on the nice soft cloth, see). Repeat.

Cheaper and easier to store than ladders, and you don't have to do that tedious thing of moving the ladder every 5 apples, or worse, thinking that 'I can juuuuust reach that other one if I leeeann... ahhhhh!!!!'

kodokan

You want to get one of these. Lidl were selling them recently over here in England. They may still have them in Germany as well.

Rod

I've made a fougasse (sort of like a focaccia) with with rosemary-scented apple topping. Very yummy, but I can't quite remember what I did...will have to experiment this weekend... I have some boskoops in the kitchen...I think they need to be made into a crisp now......

I didn't realize that the pink ladies were austrailian - we used to get them in North Carolina - nice apples. That's a great list, Jack. Thanks!

e.

This 'Scandinavian Apple Pie' is very good indeed. Just lessen the sugar for the lower layer by 40 percent but use the full amount for the top layer ('coz you want it crisp and caramelised!):

http://fxcuisine.com/Default.asp?language=2&Display=69

Raw sugar works well with it, too.

Does anyone know where I can buy cooking apples in Basel? Ideally I would like to buy Bramleys as they are the best for making apple tarts but I'm willing to experiment with the local produce. Is there an apple or fruit farm in the area ( I have a car so I'm willing to drive a reasonable distance)?

Search and you will find