Cooking eating apples

[Pepper Pig]

Neither of us really have the teeth for eaters any more. I have a load of them he keeps bringing in from the tree which was once an espalier but escaped. They are bright red, can't remember the variety. Will they cook or are they too bland/ hard?

[Suelle]

Eating apples will soften when cooked, but they don't usually collapse to a purée like cooking apples. Could be an advantage - I like slices of apple in pies and crumbles, rather than a mush.

[earthmaiden]

Yes, they stay in slices and are rather nice. You can add cinnamon etc if you find them bland.

[Pepper Pig]

I hate cinnamon! Is one of my grouses with SW cookbooks who use it in everything.

[earthmaiden]

... I got used to it after several visits to the USA. In the UK it's traditionally cloves with stewed apple. Can't say I'm that keen on them either.

[suffolk]

Bright red eaters ... could be Spartan?

http://www.gardenfocused.co.uk/fruitart ... partan.php

[Pepper Pig]

That's them Suffs.

One key characteristic of Spartan apple trees is that they produce too many apples every year. The result is a large number of apples which are all too small. See the pruning section below for details on how to deal with this.

Too true!

[Badger's mate]

I love cloves with apple, a taste of my childhood, but Mrs B much prefers cinnamon. At this time of year we get plenty of apples, not sure of any of the varieties, but I cook with them all. One favourite is Delia's Caramelised apple tart, which is cooked upside down like a tatin, but is made with shortcrust and baked, rather than puff and a pan. Her recipe includes cinnamon, I sometimes use mixed spice instead, except for the time I put five-spice powder in by mistake. It was perfectly good though.

[StokeySue]

I'm not keen on spices with apple at all, but Continental recipes always use eaters as they don't have English cookers
Here's a previous thread about Dutch Apple Pie and apple cake
viewtopic.php?f=13&t=6229&hilit=Dutch+apple+pie

I think the might do well in apple cake, but I think a little trial is required to find out if the skins are pretty or tough when cooked, I've had apple tarts of the puree topped with slices kind that have looked gorgeous with the little strips of colour on the slices, until the ly got stuck between your teeth!

[Badger's mate]

I make the apple cake from Falling Cloudberries, but don't add the sticky toffee sauce that Tessa pours over, as it's sweet enough for us without it. Again that's made with our anonymous apples, no spice, but no skins either.

[PatsyMFagan]

I too was going to suggest a Tart tatin , or a chunky apple pie .. Ina Garton makes this - and I've seen her cut the pastry into squares, pile the fruit on, pulling up the sides like an open pie .. they always look delicious.

[Pepper Pig]

Thanks all. I'm working my way through them. No disasters so far.