Apples

I have an obsession with apples; I will on a daily basis fill my pockets with them so that I have a handy snack to enjoy when I am out and about. I love that amazing balance of sweet and sour that an apple provides. Of course it differs from apple to apple, and there are so many types! It would be a dream to eat all of the different varieties in the world, which is quite a task as there are over 7000! Braeburn was my favourite for a long time, I adored the tart crunchiness that made my mouth zing. I am also appreciative of the worthy Granny Smith although I use them more often for cooking than eating; a good choice to make pie with (although inferior in this respect to the glorious Bramley). At home we have a Discovery  apple tree; pinkish red with streaks in the flesh, they are tart and fantastic. Recently I am more inclined towards sweeter apples such as Royal Gala, or sometimes Jazz which I discovered a few weeks ago. I looked up Jazz and it turns out it was cultivated for the first time in 2007 by crossing a Braeburn with a Royal Gala. Magic! Indeed most of the varieties of apples that exist are simply cross-breeds of two different existing ones.

I am planning an apple party, there will be a fantastic spectrum of tasty  apple treats. Apple pie (of course), toffee apples and baked apples, apple jelly....and it will all be accompanied by plenty of cider (a drink which I am particularly fond of). I will have a think and maybe invent some apple cocktails. Apple sorbet is my next adventure; I got given Raymond Blanc's Kitchen Secrets for Christmas and he has a recipe for raspberry sorbet. It looks delicious, and he suggests trying the recipe with other fruits... i.e. apples! So I thought I'd give it a try. It is possible to make sorbet without an ice-cream churner, and although the resulting texture won't be quite as smooth it is still pretty good.

Apple Sorbet (makes about 600ml)
      Core and roughly chop 6 granny smith apples, placing each one into a bowl with 2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice in the bottom, giving a good stir to ensure the apple doesn't go brown. Add to the bowl 200g caster sugar and mix well. Blitz in a blender until smooth and a light green colour is achieved. Don't blend for too long as the apple will start to oxidise and turn brown. Quickly pass the mixture through a fine sieve and place in the freezer. Beat the mixture with a whisk every 2 hours to stop large ice crystals forming. When fully frozen, take out of the freezer to soften, then put back in the blender to blitz smooth again. Place back in the freezer to harden slightly, then serve! Excellent with apple pie.