Baking with unripe apples

[Chufi]

I have about 5 pounds of unripe apples. (Don't ask). It's not clear what kind of apple they are, but someone who knows his apples suggested they are related to Jonagold. They aren't ripe, but they are not too acidic.

I want to use as much of them as possible in a cake. So I need ideas for a cake/pie that uses a lot of apples (I have many applecake recipes that only use one or 2).

Thanks!

[C. sapidus]

I have about 5 pounds of unripe apples. (Don't ask). It's not clear what kind of apple they are, but someone who knows his apples suggested they are related to Jonagold. They aren't ripe, but they are not too acidic.

I want to use as much of them as possible in a cake. So I need ideas for a cake/pie that uses a lot of apples (I have many applecake recipes that only use one or 2).

Thanks!

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Perhaps something from King Arthur Flour? You are a far more accomplished baker than I, but your situation screams "apple crumble" to me.

[gfron1]

What if you treated them more as a jicama?

[Chufi]

What if you treated them more as a jicama?

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I could, except I've never seen, eaten, or cooked with jicama

as I'm typing, I'm thinking CHUTNEY! Not that that has it's place in the Baking Forum. But it's funny how the mind works!

ETA: thanks Bruce that's a lot of applerecipe on that website!

Edited August 23, 2007 by Chufi (log)

[CaliPoutine]

You might be able to make apple butter as well!!

[CanadianBakin']

You could probably make pie or crumble if you combined them with some sweet apples to balance them.

[gfron1]

I could, except I've never seen, eaten, or cooked with jicama 

as I'm typing, I'm thinking CHUTNEY! Not that that has it's place in the Baking Forum. But it's funny how the mind works!

ETA: thanks Bruce that's a lot of applerecipe on that website!

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Oops. Here's a basic info website on jicama.

And some recipes.

And one from RecipeGullet.

Now, I don't know if this will work, but there some strong similarities to unripened apples.

[Abra]

This cake from Edna Lewis is my favorite apple cake in the whole world. I've never tried it with unripe apples, but I'll be really interested to hear about it if you do.

Edited August 23, 2007 by Abra (log)

[miladyinsanity]

Apple Cakes I want to try but haven't:

Torta di Mele

Apple Cardamom Cake

Gateaux au Pommes

Crustless Apple Crumb Cake--uses 12 apples

[Kouign Aman]

Grate them and use them in a zucchini cake recipe?

Or cook them down for a tangier than usual apple sauce cake?

Or mix in some berries in the crumble, for richness.

[Kerry Beal]

I used to make a ginger marmalade that used apples as a base. Have searched high and low and can't figure out what I've done with the recipe, but it was essentially apples, sugar and lots of fresh ginger. I'm sure a little lemon juice too.

[Chufi]

thanks everyone, there are some great ideas here!

I'll be playing with my unripe apples this weekend

I'll report back!

[Chufi]

This cake from Edna Lewis is my favorite apple cake in the whole world.  I've never tried it with unripe apples, but I'll be really interested to hear about it if you do.

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Abra does this cake keep well for a couple of days? with or without the glaze?

[JeanneCake]

I love the apple cake recipe in Payard's dessert book. This is a link to it

Weekend Apple Cake

He calls it a "weekend cake" because it was made to last throughout a weekend (two days?!). It's a wonderful cake, and I think it would be good with the type of apples you have. Enjoy the windfall.....

[prairiegirl]

I am picking alot of the neighbor's apples and I am making fruit leather with it.

[Sentiamo]

Chufi...if you would like some savoury chutney/relish recipes from Downunder, PM me and I will get some to you!

A favourite dessert from my childhood was Apple Gingerbread Pudding and seems appropriate for your part of the world.

[sugarseattle]

i think if they're a bit unripe, just increase the sugar by whatever percentage you think they're unripe by...but because they're so nice and tart, they're going to bake well and hold their shape too! Yum

[Waterzoy]

What about a Tarte Tatin? I have some apples that sound quite similar on a tree in the garden. They aren't so nice as eating apples but I didn't want them to go to waste. You need to use quite a few apples for a Tarte Tatin to make sure the dish is tightly packed with apple segments. The caramel at the bottom of the dish turned my quite dull apples into something very nice. I'm making one later on today while I still have some apples left.

[Abra]

Yes, the cake with its glaze is fine for 2-3 days. It's a very moist cake, so it keeps beautifully.

[Chufi]

I made the Edna Lewis cake Abra linked to and I made a couple of jars of raspberry-apple jam.

The cake is delicious (the recipe made 1 large square cake which I´ll take to work tomorrow and 1 tiny round cake which we are eating right now). It is very moist and flavorful, and I can only imagine how good it would be with tasty apples instead of my unripe ones.

I used walnut oil for the vegetable oil.

pics of apples, cake and jam here on my Dutch blog.

Edited August 26, 2007 by Chufi (log)

[Abra]

The cake is gorgeous, and what a good idea to sub cognac for the vanilla! I didn't know you could easily get pecans. And no speculaaskruiden if you want to claim it's an American cake!

My Dutch is improving, no?

[onrushpam]

as I'm typing, I'm thinking CHUTNEY! Not that that has it's place in the Baking Forum. But it's funny how the mind works!

Years ago, we lived in a house with a big old pear tree in the yard. The pears were of the "cooking" sort. They never got ripe/soft enough to eat raw.

I made many jars of wonderful chutney from them, and my DH's aunt made pints and pints of pear butter.

I'm thinking you should do those with your apples.

I miss that old pear tree, and my asparagus patch in the same yard. We also had a wonderfully prolific blueberry bush. But, I let the birds have those, or gave them away if I managed to pick them before the birds did. Neither DH nor I like blueberries.

[plk]

Make apple jelly, then keep it to use in place of storebought pectin?

[hummingbirdkiss]

just be careful who eats them I brought a green apple crisp to work ...once and only once will I feed them to a crowd .. ..I eat green apples off the tree and just love them so does my family ..however ..my crisp went fast and so did the people who's tummies were not used to eating green apples!

I will never ever live that down!