What to do with sour green apples?

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plnelson

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I recently lost two Granny Smith apple trees to Hurricane Ida so I have several utility-buckets of not-quite-ripe Granny Smith apples. They're too green and sour for eating but I was wondering if there are any other kinds of recipes they'd be useful in.

Thanks in advance.
 
There are a number of options.

You can still cook with them as normal, just add some sugar to taste. In the UK, we actually have cooking apples that are not sweet and are used extensively in cooking. I actually miss them now I've moved to Australia having grown up with them in the UK.

You can also make apple butter (which is a caramelised apple puree ). Same versions include apple cider vinegar and cinnamon, but my preferred version is litterally just apples and sugar. Once made, it is jarred/canned and used instead of jam. We love it in our porridge

Dry Apple juice is another option, as is dry cider. Dry being used in the same context as wine.
 
SatNavSaysStraightOn said:
There are a number of options.

You can still cook with them as normal, just add some sugar to taste. In the UK, we actually have cooking apples that are not sweet and are used extensively in cooking. I actually miss them now I've moved to Australia having grown up with them in the UK.

You can also make apple butter (which is a caramelised apple puree ). Same versions include apple cider vinegar and cinnamon, but my preferred version is litterally just apples and sugar. Once made, it is jarred/canned and used instead of jam. We love it in our porridge

Dry Apple juice is another option, as is dry cider. Dry being used in the same context as wine.
Click to expand...

Granny Smith apples are cooking apples. They are quite tart, even when fully ripe.

Apple crisp is easy, and tastes good. Granny Smith are also good for apple pie.

Here is a recipe for an apple glaze for pork chops. I used sweet apples, but tart apples would work. Recipe - Sous Vide Pork Tenderloin with Apple-Maple Sauce

Cd
 
I used to love sour apples as a kid, the sourer the better. I don't know the official name for them but we would call them "crab apples".

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I’d make a smoothie or a salad with rocket salad, walnuts (or any other dried fruit) and croutons. They work fine also raw just seasoned with a pinch of sugar or maple syrup or baked.
Dipped in chocolate (the dark one preferably) are great too.
 
caseydog said:
Crab apples here are a very different thing. They are the size of a large cherry. I was told as a kid that they aren't even edible.

CD
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I was told by my dear old mum many times that they would cause me stomach ache/pain.

They never did.

[Edit: My mum used to peel cooking apples for apple pies. I used to eat the skins]
 
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caseydog said:
Granny Smith apples are cooking apples. They are quite tart, even when fully ripe.
Click to expand...
I'm familiar with Granny Smith's. They are not tart in my book and are considered eating apples, not cooking apples in my book.
An apple you cook with is not necessarily a cooking apple in UK terms.
Looking it up, even Braeburn are considered to be coming apples and even I ate those routinely. Found them too sweet if they ripened fully!
 
You can start by making a delicious apple pie, and send me a slice or two:smug::smug:
My mum used to make apple purée, (with sugar) bottle it and save it for winter.
Apple chutney is another good option.
Slice the apples into circles and dry them.
Make fresh apple juice - just blitz the peeled fruit and strain out the seeds.
 
SatNavSaysStraightOn said:
I'm familiar with Granny Smith's. They are not tart in my book and are considered eating apples, not cooking apples in my book.
An apple you cook with is not necessarily a cooking apple in UK terms.
Looking it up, even Braeburn are considered to be coming apples and even I ate those routinely. Found them too sweet if they ripened fully!
Click to expand...

Another cultural thing, I guess. Granny Smith apples are probably the most used apples for cooking in the US.

The trouble with apples is that there must be a few hundred varieties around the world. New ones come along all the time, too, as scientists/farmers apparently crossbreed them a lot.

CD
 
^Same here (with Granny Smith apples - in addition to some common red sour apple varieties). Sour apples taste great when cooked like rhubarb: peel and cut the fruit into chunks, add plenty of oats, sugar (and/or maple syrup), lots of cinnamon, a dash of sunflower oil (or butter), a cup of light cooking cream (or vegan alternative) and cook in the oven on a lined oven tray (+175°C/350°F) for 30-45 minutes. The mush makes a quick "apple pie" when used as a filling for e.g. waffles or pancakes. It moistens and flavors cake batters and can be mixed with plain yoghurt and muesli/granola for breakfast.
 
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caseydog said:
The trouble with apples is that there must be a few hundred varieties around the world.
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Coupled with the fact that grocery stores carry less than 10. That's why I really like apple season here; we have a few orchards nearby and I can get something other than Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, and Red Delicious apples!

Crabapples...yeah, about the size of cherries here, very bitter. Mom used to make crabapple jelly with them. The birds and the bees (and I mean that literally) seem to always get to them first, though.
 
I have some really old apple trees here (probably great-great-grandfathered in), and noticed yesterday one of them was giving me a bumper crop of apples - they're very sour and tart, probably best for cooking. I'll go collect some this weekend. Since I am not a sweet tooth, this should work out fine! Some very interesting ideas in this thread.
 
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