Apple is certainly one of the most popular and common fruits. But did you know that they contain eight of the thirteen vitamins in existence? They also contain minerals important for the body, with potassium being the most abundant, followed by phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, sodium, iron, silicon, manganese, copper, zinc, fluorine, iodine and selenium. The amount of these nutrients is determined by the soil in which the apple trees are grown.
If you are unable to have your own apples from your garden, be sure to ask family or friends if they would donate any surplus apples from their gardens. Alternatively, buy them from a gardener, preferably in organic quality, as these are the best and the quality cannot be compared with those from supermarkets.
Some varieties, if stored well, will last until spring, but others need to be processed earlier.
Dried Apples
Drying is clearly one of the best methods of preservation. Apples in this state retain the most vitamins.
You can dry them:
- in the sun
- in the oven, on a low temperature
- in a fruit dryer
Cook
Cooking is one of the most common methods of preserving food. You can preserve apples, for example, as a compote, or even with other fruits together. You can also make a pudding or preserve them using the so-called „dry method“, that is, you clean, grate and squeeze the apples into sterilised jars, then preserve them for about 20 minutes after reaching the boiling point; processed in this way, they are particularly suitable for strudel or other buns. If you like desserts, you can also make them, homemade ones are the tastiest.
Limmer them
Among other possibilities is the production of cider. Find a cider house near you that will make cider, and some even pasteurise it so you can have a steady supply of vitamins for several months. If you don’t have time to make cider, you can also put it in the freezer. And finally, something for connoisseurs. If you have a really large quantity of apples, try making your own homemade cider or put them in a barrel, take them to a distillery in a few weeks and enjoy your own calvados.