Monday, May 3, 2010

Poached and dried apples

Every year, we are given lots of Apples, (the birds eat most of ours). I bottle some , pulp and freeze some and dry some. I also make apple jelly. Chef Michael Ryan, from Beechworth, Victoria, has published a recipe for poaching the apples in a syrup made from the peel and cores. The TMX has made this time consuming process quite simple .

1 tablespoon of lemon juice
4 very large apples, or 5 medium sized apples.
1 cup caster sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla essence.

Peel and core the apples, saving the peel and cores and placing them in the TMX bowl with 1 cup of water and the caster sugar and vanilla essence. Cook for 12 mins,. 100c., and speed 1.
While the peel and cores are cooking, cut the apple into thin slices and place in a dish of water, to which the lemon juice has been added.
When the peel and cores are cooked, place towel over lid and slowly turn dial from 1 to 9, for 1 min.
Pour this mixture, with an additional cup of water , into a large pan on the stove.
Heat the mixture, and add the drained apple slices to the pan.
Gently simmer until the slices are just tender and slightly translucent.
Allow apples to cool in Syrup.
Remove and either dry in a dehydrator for 10 hours, or place slices on baking trays, lined with baking paper, and dry in an oven at 100c for 2-3 hours, or until golden and crisp.

Michael Ryan serves these with Creme Catalan. I will add them to breakfast cereal.

The remaining cooking syrup I used as a base for berry jam.

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