Hello, We went apple picking today and I plan to freeze extra apples, but am looking for a few recipes for variety. At this point, I plan to make apple butter, applesauce, and freeze slices for pies/crisp. Does anyone have good recipes that I can freeze or just make with apples?
Rachel

I'd like some ideas on how to freeze apples also. We got 2 3lb bags of granny smith & 1 5 lb bag of Red Delicious for FREE!!! I hate to see them go to waste.

I didn't know you could freeze apples. Won't they turn brown?

You can freeze apples, but I have read that you shouldn't just freeze them whole. (someone please correct me if I'm wrong). What I do is peel, core and slice them. As I am preparing them, I place them in a bowl of water and a few squirts of lemon juice. This is to prevent browning. I have noticed with the apples that I have frozen that they are a little brown in places, but that's ok w/ me since I will be using them for pies, apple crisp and apple butter. The color won't matter as much as taste for me. I also place them in quart size ziploc bags in the amount I need for recipes (ie: 5-6 apples for apple crisp). Or--you can "flash freeze" them on a cookie sheet and then transfer them to the baggies.
For applesauce, I prepare that w/ fresh apples, and then freeze. You can put a few drops of lemon in the sauce to prevent browning or go ahead and mix the cinamon in so the color won't matter. That's all I really know about apples and freezing them.
Rachel

I peel & slice apples & put them in the freezer all the time. I fill a pie pan & when it's full, I pour those apples into a zipper freezer bag. Sometimes I add some sugar & cinnamon & sometimes not. It doesn't matter if they turn brown because they are for pie & you're going to put cinnamon in the pie & that makes them brown anyway.

When I thaw them to put in the pie later on, I remove really obvious ice clumps, kind of semi-thaw it. I don't thaw & drain the juice otherwise the pie will be too dry. But I put some flour on the bottom crust so it doesn't get too soupy.

How long will apples & applesauce last be good if frozen??

There is stuff called fruit fresh (somewhere-I got it from a friend) that is just ascorbic acid in a powder form for keeping apples fresh and not brown.

I came across this on the website for the apple orchard we like to go to, sounds yummy!!

CANDY APPLE SALAD

8 oz. peanuts
1 container Cool Whip
8 cups chopped apple
Crushed pineapple

Mix together

1/3 cup brown sugar
2 T. vinegar
Juice from 1 can of crushed pineapple

Heat and thicken with flour, then combine with first 4 ingrediants.