Using the whole apple

[bonnotsm9]

My husband loves homemade apple pie. The last few times I've made it for him, I put the peels and cores in an ice cream bucket which I stored in the freezer. A couple of weeks ago I decided I needed to make room in the freezer, so I took out the buckets of peels. I cut the stem and blossom ends off and used the cores and peels to make jelly. The skins have enough pectin in them that I didn't need to buy any extra. I ended up with two jars of apple jelly.

The only thing I hadn't planned on was that oldest dd has been eating the frozen peels as a snack. One of the buckets I took out of the freezer had only cores and a few tiny peels left. Dd had eaten all the rest.

[Luckybustert]

How do you make apple jelly from the cores and peels? I'm new to this and like the idea of making something yummy out of things I'd otherwise throw away.

[bonnotsm9]

You put the peels and cores in a pot, cover them just barely with water, then cook until mushy. Put this mushy concoction into a muslin lined seive or colander which you then put over another bigger bowl. (You can also put it in a muslin bag, tie it shut, and hang it over a bowl to drip) Allow the juices to drain overnight.

The next day measure how much juice you have. Put an amount of sugar equal to the amount of juice you have in a pot. For instance, if you have 2 cups of juice, then you add 2 cups of sugar. Boil the sugar and juice until it thickens to jelly consistency. It's the right consistency when you place a drop of the jelly on a chilled plate and it doesn't run all over the plate- it just stays in a drop. Then pour into clean jars, seal with lids and rings. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

If you are going to use the jelly right away and will be keeping it in the refrigerator, there's no need to process it in the water bath.

[Grainlady]

Good use of "scrapes"!!!

There is a less-wasteful option to peeling and coreing apples for making sliced apples. For most baking/cooking, the peel can be left on. Wash the apples and cut in half. The ONLY portion that you need to remove is the tiny seed pod. I use a 1/4-t. stainless steel measuring spoon for this task. A small melon baller would also work. But just remove the seeds and not flesh.

Then cut the halves in half, and on the ends, cut a small - V - to remove any stem or blossom end. Then cut the quarters in the thickness you want. I never have more than 1/2-1-teaspoon of waste using this method.

[mauimagic]

You put the peels and cores in a pot, cover them just barely with water, then cook until mushy. Put this mushy concoction into a muslin lined seive or colander which you then put over another bigger bowl. (You can also put it in a muslin bag, tie it shut, and hang it over a bowl to drip) Allow the juices to drain overnight.

The next day measure how much juice you have. Put an amount of sugar equal to the amount of juice you have in a pot. For instance, if you have 2 cups of juice, then you add 2 cups of sugar. Boil the sugar and juice until it thickens to jelly consistency. It's the right consistency when you place a drop of the jelly on a chilled plate and it doesn't run all over the plate- it just stays in a drop. Then pour into clean jars, seal with lids and rings. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

If you are going to use the jelly right away and will be keeping it in the refrigerator, there's no need to process it in the water bath.

Great directions and a terrific idea!! Cannot wait to try this too!! Mahalo!!

[pollypurebred39]

When our apple tree is ready for harvesting and I make applesauce for the freezer, I'm adding apple jelly to my list! I've always made apple sauce, but this is the first year I'll be freezing it, there should be enough apples this year. Thanks for the recipe!

[nuisance26]

~I didn't know that there was pectin in apple peels. That is so cool!
My kids like to eat apples but choke on the peels so I peel apples and cut the sides off the apples leaving a square core. The cores go into the freezer to make applesauce.
Now I have a new plan. Wash apples, peel, chop off sides and freeze peels and core. When I make my applesauce I'll do it like you do but I'll run the pulp through a food mill after draining off the juice.
I love apple jelly so I can't wait to try this! Thanks!~

[Grainlady]

~I didn't know that there was pectin in apple peels. That is so cool!
~

Pectin levels in fruit: http://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking...icle_6-03.html

FYI: Here is some great information about making jelly WITH and WITHOUT added pection for you new jelly/jam makers.

http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can_07/...ut_pectin.html

FYI: Pectin causes fruit to gel. The BEST pectin amounts come from JUST-RIPE fruit. If fruit is under-ripe or over-ripe, there may not be adequate pectin to form a gel.

Commercial pectin is available in liquid or powdered form. They are NOT interchangeable in recipes.

There are many advantages to using pectin:
-You can use fully ripe fruit.
-Cooking time is shorter and specified (see Pectin box/bottle instructions).
-Greater yields from fruit will be obtained because you don't have to cook it as long.

Testing Fruit Pectin Content:

-Cooking test - Measure 1/3 c. juice and 1/4 c. sugar into a small saucepan. Heat slowly, stirring constantly to dissolve all sugar. Boil rapidly until the syrup comes off a spoon in one sheet. Pour the syrup into a clean, hot jar or bowl and let cool. If a gel forms, the juice contains proper amounts of pectin.

-Alcohol test - Combine 1 teaspoon juice and 1 T. rubbing alcohol in a jar with a lid. Tighten the lid and shake the jar gently to combine the mixture. If the juice has high pectin content and solid gel mass will form. If it forms several small clumps, the juice has low pectin content. Do NOT eat this mixture!!!

[redmaples]

thanks, apple season is coming up...
this is a perfect fall jelly to make with the scraps from
the homemade pie filling i make to freeze.

[staceyy]

I save the skins in my freezer. I remove them and while frozen, I grate them in my blender. I then use the grated peels in my oatmeal along with raisins, nuts and cinnamon. I also throw some of the grated peels into my oatmeal cookies. They turn out very moist with a slight apple flavor.

[Judi Dial]

Wow, thanks!

Judi

[alarosalpn]

Thank you so much for posting this recipe! Every year I go apple picking for droppings ( I pay $5 bushel) and I get 2 bushels every year. I always feel bad about throwing away so many peels and cores but never knew what to do with them. Now I do! No more waste for me! And what great Xmas presents apple jelly would make! Thank you!

[ladytoysdream]

I been giving the apple peelings to the chickens.
So sorry chickens....next bunch goes in the freezer so I can try a batch of jelly
My norm is jam. I think I only made crabapple jelly once and that was a long time ago.

[monkeywrangler71]

I made spiced apple jelly a couple years ago. It's still in the cupboard, I have no clue what to do with it.

My kids love dried apple leather - I purée the apple with the peelings still on now, cook it for a few minutes, then dry it.

[alarosalpn]

Uh oh, I made this tonight with my sister but we didn't let the juice and sugar boil until it got jelly consistency...
Will it still gel? good thing we only made 3 jars! Can we reboil it when it cools down?