What To Do With Apples From My Tree

What to do with apples from my tree

Freezing apples is a really great way of preserving them, especially if you have a glut. Find out how best to freeze apples for use in crumbles and smoothies. It's best to use frozen apples in baking or smoothies, because the texture of fruit that has been frozen and thawed is softer.

What can I use backyard apples for?

Applesauce is a quick and easy way to use up apples and crabapples and it freezes well. Cooking down the apples, extracting the juice and freezing it to drink or make jelly in the winter is another option. Making apple pies and freezing them unbaked is a wonderful way to stretch your harvest into the dead of winter.

What do apple orchards do with fallen apples?

Many times farmers come to collect the apple drops to feed to livestock. If apples are not picked up, they are mowed at the end of the season and help to fertilize next year's crop.

What can I do with small fallen apples?

Composting fallen apples You could add the fallen fruit to the compost heap as and when they fall. Doing this would supply nitrogen as a 'green' material to the mix. However, in late summer or autumn, there may be a larger amount of fruit to incorporate in the mix.

Can you freeze apples straight from the tree?

Yes, you most certainly can! If you find yourself with a large surplus of apples, freezing them might a good option for you. Having a stash of frozen apples makes it extra easy to throw them into baked goods or smoothies.

What's the best way to prepare apples for freezing?

Peel, core, and slice. If you've got apples to freeze, but no plan for their use, this is the way to go. Use later by the handful or bagful in any cooked recipes. Pies, muffins, cobblers and even applesauce can be made from frozen apples.

Can I put apples outside for animals?

But apples are not just for people, they're great for wildlife as well. Deer, mice, bears, raccoons, turkeys and many songbirds relish apples.

Can you leave fallen apples on the ground?

Even if you don't want all the apples, don't leave any on the tree over winter or any windfalls to rot on the ground. Rotting apples may result in canker or brown rot (Monilinia fruitigena) – a widespread fungal disease. It finds its way into damaged fruits, typically those pecked at by birds.

Can I use apples that have fallen on the ground?

Never eat apples that have dropped to the ground, as these can easily become contaminated with harmful bacteria. Although apples can be stored at room temperature, they can become soft or begin to spoil quickly. It is best to store apples in the refrigerator.

How do you preserve fallen apples?

Any damaged or windfall fruit should be juiced, cooked, made into jam or just eaten right away. Store apples in a cold but frost free place. A little humidity in the air is beneficial, but there should also be decent ventilation. Garages, most cellars, outhouses and shed are all ideal.

What animals eat fallen apples?

Apples are also eaten by mammals like badgers, hedgehogs, wood mice and voles, and they are a source of late-season sugar for butterflies, wasps, ants and other invertebrates.

How do you preserve apples after harvesting?

The ideal storage temperature is 30 to 35 degrees F. with 90 to 95 percent relative humidity. If you don't have a lot of apples, the refrigerator is a good option. Place them in the crisper drawer in a plastic bag with holes in it or cover the apples with a damp paper towel.

Why do apples fall off the tree before they are ripe?

Often, a period of stress (a long, hot summer with very little rain) will cause a tree to abort its fruit in order to conserve energy. Apple trees require deep watering during drought. Lack of pollination can result in pea-size fruit that falls off prematurely.

Will fallen apples ripen?

Unlike some fruits, apples continue to ripen long after they are picked off the tree. This ripening (or over-ripening affects the texture not the taste of the fruit.

Can apples ripen after being picked?

To make sure the apples can survive long-term storage, the orchards harvest them 1-2 weeks before peak ripeness. Apples are a “climacteric” fruit, meaning that they continue to ripen somewhat after picking. If you have to pick early, try storing the fruit for a while to see if they become sweeter before use.

Do I need to cook apples before freezing?

Yes, you can freeze apples without cooking them. You do not need to cook apples before freezing. Instead, you can blanch the apples to prevent them from browning, especially for sliced apple pieces.

Should you pick apples before it freezes?

Fruits such as apples, grapes, and strawberries are high in sugar. The sugar in the water and the fruit's skin reduces the temperature at which the fruit freezes. So if a very cold night is ahead and your apples are still on the tree, it's best to change your plans and get picking!

Does freezing apples make them mushy?

There aren't a lot of reasons why you would freeze a whole apple; once thawed, the texture will be a bit mushy, not crisp and juicy, and it will be difficult to slice and dice to use in baking. If you are dead set on freezing whole apples, however, here is what you do: Wash the apples thoroughly and dry completely.

How do you store fresh apples for the winter?

Store Apples in a Cool, Dry Place Somewhere between 35 and 40 degrees is ideal. The crisping drawer of a refrigerator works best, but if there's not enough refrigerator space available, a garage, shed, or other sheltered outdoor area is fine. But it is extremely important to not let the apples freeze!

Can you freeze whole apples with skin?

Can you freeze apples with the skin on? Yes. There's no issue with leaving the skin on. The only thing to consider is if you want to use them for something later on and decide you don't want the skins on, it's much more work to peel many individual slices later, than peeling a whole apple before freezing.