TARBORO — I have 5 pounds of dried apples. That is a lot of dried apples. I love to snack on them but not quite that many. I have bagged some of them up for the freezer but even if you freeze them, you need a plan for how to use them. So, I started searching for recipes that use dried apples. I found several and have tried them out. I hope you enjoy them.

The first is a standard. It's dried apple pie. You can usually make apple pie with either fresh or dried apples. This recipe gives you instructions for the crust. If you don't want to make a fresh crust, you can always use the frozen variety.

The second recipe is pretty cool. It's dried apple jelly. As with regular apple jelly,  you don't really use the apples, you use the juice that you cook out of them.

The last recipe is dried apple bread. This is a really easy recipe. It takes a few minutes to stew the apples to rehydrate them but otherwise it's very easy. You can also add nuts and raisins if you want them. I like the added dimension of flavor that the nuts and raisins give.



Dried Apple Pie



1 each pastry dough double-crust

3/4 pound dried apples    

4 cups apple cider    

1/4 cup sugar    

1 tablespoon sugar    

3 tablespoons cornstarch    

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon    

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg freshly grated

2 tablespoons butter, unsalted, cold, cut into bits

1 tablespoon milk cold

1-3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream, optional



Divide the dough into 2 slightly unequal portions, roll the larger portion into a round 1/8 inch thick, and fit it into a 9 inch pie plate.

Roll the remaining dough into a round 1/8 thick and transfer it to a foil-lined baking sheet.

Chill the pastry.

In a kettle combine the apples and cider, adding water if necessary to just cover the apples, bring the cider to a boil, and simmer the apples, covered partially, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 30 minutes, or until they are softened but not mushy.

Drain the apples, reserving 1/4 cup of the cider, and let them cool.

Into a bowl sift together 1/4 cup of the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and nutmeg, add the apples and toss the mixture.

Add the reserved cider and toss the mixture until it is combined well.

Spoon the apple mixture in the shell and dot it with the butter.

Lay the remaining pastry loosely over the filling and crimp the edges together decoratively.

Brush the pastry lightly with the milk, sprinkle it with the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar, and cut several long steam vents in the crust.

Bake the pie on a baking sheet in the lower third of a preheated 425 degrees F oven for 15 minutes, reduce the heat to 400 degrees F and bake the pie for 30 minutes more.

For an old-fashioned pour-through pie, drizzle the cream into the steam vents 5 minutes before the pie is finished baking.

Serve the pie warm with ice cream or sharp Cheddar as an accompaniment.





Dried Apple Jelly



5 cups dried apples    

8 cups water    

1 x sugar    

1 x lemon juice    



Wash apples.

Add water, cover, and boil 30 minutes. Drain through jelly bag.

(There should be about 3 1/2 cups juice.) Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1/2 cup sugar to each cup apple juice.

Boil until jelly sheets from spoon.

 

Dried Apple Bread Recipe



1 cup dried apples

1 egg, well beaten

1/2 cup sour milk

1/2 cup shortening

2 cups flour, sifted

1/2 cup shortening

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg



Stew apples just enough to soften, then chop into small pieces about the size of raisins.

Boil apples in the molasses until like thick preserves, and then drain off molasses.

To molasses add egg, sour milk & shortening, mix well.

Add flour, salt, baking soda & spices, mix well. Stir in apples.

Bake in a greased & floured loaf pan at 350 degrees for about 60 minutes, or until tests done.





Did You Know?



Fixit Tips

40 tips, hints, and tricks for repairs around the house



Loose Drawer Knobs - Before inserting a screw into the knob, coat with fingernail polish to hold it tightly.

Leaky Vase - Fix a leaky vase by coating the inside with paraffin and letting it harden

Plywood Cutting - Put a strip of masking tape at the point of plywood where you plan to begin sawing to keep it from splitting.

Loose Screws - To make a screw hold tightly, dip it in glue before replacing.

Locating Wall Studs - Move a pocket compass along the wall. When the needle moves, usually the stud will be located at that point. Studs are usually located 16 inches apart.

Fraying Rope - Shellac the ends of rope to prevent fraying.

Fraying Nylon Cord - Heat the cut end of nylon cord over a match flame to bond the end together

Loosing Rusting Bolts - Apply a cloth soaked in any carbonated soda to loosen rusted bolts.

Straight Line - Mark a straight line by using a knife instead of a pencil.

Sandpaper Tip - By damping the backing on sandpaper, it will last longer and resist cracking

Tight Screws - Loosen a screw by putting a couple drops of peroxide on it and let it soak in.

Screwdriver Tip - Keep a screwdriver from slipping by putting chalk on the blade

Loosening Joints - Loosen old glue by applying vinegar from an oil can to the joint

Screwdriver Substitute - Use a large new nail to substitute for a Phillips screwdriver.

Creaky Boards - Fasten floorboards down with extra-long nails to prevent creaking

Another Floorboard Tip - Another way to prevent creaking floorboards is to put a thin wedge between the sub flooring and the joints.

Preventing Rust - To prevent rusty tools, coat with auto paste wax

Corrosion Preventative - Put piece of charcoal in your toolbox to prevent corroded tools

Sanding Tip - To locate any rough spots that remain, put an old nylon stocking over your hand--run it lightly over the surface of the wood.

Sticking Drawers - Rub the runners of drawers with a candle or a bar of soap so they will slide easily

Window Insulation - Hang plastic lings behind curtains to insulate windows against heat or cold

Chips in the Sink - Small chips in porcelain sinks can be hidden by applying contact paper to the spots

Drawer Knobs - Use building blocks instead of knobs on a child's dresser

Stubborn Locks - Dip key into machine oil or graphite to loosen up a lock. Turn the key in the lock a few times

No Graphite - Rub the key with a lead pencil if you have no graphite on hand to loosen up a lock

Hairdryer Bellows - Use a portable hairdryer as a fine fireplace bellows

Shut-off Valve Safety Tip - To keep the shut-off values on water pipe from sticking, turn them every six months or so

Slamming Doors - Reduce the noise level in your home by putting self-sticking protective pads on the inside edges of cabinet doors, cupboards, etc.

Audio Tip - Audiophiles or those who are hard-of-hearing can avoid disturbing others by having earphone jacks installed in television sets, stereos, radios, etc

Snow Shovel Wax - Coat a snow shovel with floor wax to keep snow from sticking to it.

Icy Sidewalk Tip - Sprinkle sand through a strainer on an icy sidewalk to distribute evenly

Anchored Garbage Can - Prevent garbage cans from being tipped over by firmly anchoring inside an old tire.

Garbage Can Tip - Garbage cans will last longer if they are painted. Use primer on galvanized metal, and then paint with matching house paint.

Key Identification - Paint the top of keys with corresponding colors on front door, car, etc.

Towel Rack Tip - Replace the bottom screws of towel racks with cup hooks. Small towels and washcloths may be hung from them.

Handy Item - To retrieve things from hard-to-reach areas, fasten a cup hook to the end of an old mop or broom handle.

Screen Repair - Use clear cement glue to repair a small hole in wire screening.

Hairdryer Hint - Thaw a frozen pipe with a portable hairdryer