Autumn is a great time for fruit and if you are fortunate enough to have blackberries growing in your garden (I have a thornless one) or somewhere you can go and pick them wild then there are lots of delicious things you can make with them. One of my favourites is Blackberry & Apple Crumble. I made this with windfall apples. Fruit Fill a deep oven-proof dish half to two thirds full with fruit. I used 3 green apples, sliced, and a big handful of blackberries. I don’t add any … [Read more...]
Fig Chutney Recipe (with apples and raisins)
Fresh figs are a real treat if you have a tree in your garden because you virtually never see them in the shops. My figs always seem to ripen at the same time as lots of other things so I generally throw them in the freezer so that I can preserve them later. Recently I have been trying out different fig chutney recipes - this one is made with apple and raisins. Watch out for some other recipes to try. 2 cups figs (fresh or frozen) 1/3 cup apple 1/2 cup onion 1/3 cup raisins 1/2 … [Read more...]
Rhubarb & Apple Crumble Recipe
This Rhubarb & Apple Crumble Recipe is perfect for late summer when you have windfall apples to use up and rhubarb flopping over the vegie garden where you are wanting to plant your winter vegetables. Using cardamom in the crumble adds an extra layer of flavour. Fruit Fill a deep oven-proof dish half to two thirds full with fruit. I used 2 large stems of rhubarb, cut into 1-2cm pieces, and 4 windfall apples, peeled, cored and roughly chopped. I don't add any sugar to the fruit … [Read more...]
Blackberry, Apple & Pinot Noir Jam
This Blackberry, Apple & Pinot Noir Jam has the great pairing of blackberry and apple, lifted by the addition of pinot noir. After making Apple Pie Jam I was in the mood for another jam to make using apples and thought 'what about blackberry and apple? Perfect in a dessert, why not in a jam?' I'd also made Raspberry & Rosewater Jam, where the addition of the rose water gave a subtle lift to the fruity flavour of the raspberries, so why not try a splash of wine to lift the blackberry and … [Read more...]
Apple Pie Jam (Spiced Apple Jam)
This apple pie jam aka spiced apple jam recipe is a wonderful way to use windfall apples (or in my case the ones the birds have pecked). I have usually just stewed my apples and frozen them but this recipe allows you to quickly enjoy the deliciousness of spiced apples on your toast or on scones with some cream. You can use it as filling for some quick mini apple tarts or spread it on crepes and serve with yoghurt or ice cream to make a tasty dessert. Recipe can easily be halved if you only have … [Read more...]
Mint & Apple Jelly Recipe
I decided to make some mint & apple jelly this spring while I had lots of healthy-looking mint. I often look forward to using mint in summer only to discover that it has succumbed to rust. Cutting it right back solves the problem for a while as the new growth is rust-free but coinciding sufficient clean mint with my cooking requirements can be somewhat of a challenge. 1kg cooking apples Water Sugar Zest and juice of 1 lemon 1/2 cup firmly packed mint leaves, finely chopped (retain … [Read more...]
Codling Moth Biological Control
Codling moth is one of the major pests of apple trees with the caterpillars burrowing into the fruit. Biological control using a tiny parasitoid wasp is a promising new control method. I was fortunate to be able to participate in the release of the parasitoid wasp in Auckland. Female codling moths lay their eggs on fruit or leaves in summer and the caterpillars (or larvae) head for the fruit immediately upon hatching and burrow inside giving us the all too familiar spotty, buggy apples. … [Read more...]
Serbian Apple Cake Recipe
This Serbian Apple Cake recipe comes courtesy of my friend Darja and it uses apples and walnuts that are now in season. It is also good later in the season to use up apples you've had in the fridge for a while. Unfortunately I don't have walnut trees in my garden but my apple trees are starting to produce a crop now. 3 cups of grated apple (normally about 6 small apples or 4 large apples) 1 ½ cups sugar (can reduce this amount) 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp vanilla extract ¾ cup of … [Read more...]
Making Fruit Leathers
I have always been a big fan of Annie's Fruit Leathers as a snack and part of my motivation in buying a Dehydrator was so that I could make my own fruit leathers from all the fruit I will one day have growing in my garden. I was given a bag of apples and had some blackberries in the freezer so thought I'd try out the method. My dehydrator came supplied with one fruit leather tray and I purchased another set of 3 - I had to ask for these to be ordered in for me. Recipe Peel apples and … [Read more...]