(Updated – September 15, 2020)
Autumn has arrived and we find ourselves eating an abundance of fresh, crisp apples freshly picked from our local orchard. If you brought home a few too many bushels of apples from your orchard, you might need to put a few up for later. We’ve got some ideas on how you can preserve apples below.
Penn State Extension has a great article about the variety of methods you can use to preserve apples. You’ll learn the characteristics of apple varieties and which types are best for freezing, canning, pressure canning, as well as a number of basic apple preserving recipes. When canning apples it’s suggested to use apple varieties that are crisp and firm and will retain their shape and texture – see chart below. Preserving Apples – Penn State Extension
APPLE VARIETY CHART
Attention local Lancaster, PA folks, there are a few really great apple orchards that offer pick-you-own. Don’t have time for picking? Don’t worry, you can generally buy in bulk from the orchards as well.
If you aren’t local to PA, search this website to find pick-your-own orchards near you.
We rounded up some of our favorite ways to preserve apples. (Okay, so there’s more than 10…we’ve added a few since we originally posted this.) Enjoy!
Caramel Apple Jam
Apple Shrub
I’ll have to try the shrub and fermented apples!