If you have an apple tree, chances are you are currently desperately offloading apples to friends and family, as well as to innocent bystanders. If you’re in such a fortunate position, steamed apples might be the answer to your apple glut: easy to make, simple to preserve, and incredibly low-maintenance to store: by sterilising the steamed apples in their jars, they will keep for a good 12 months in a dark cupboard, not wasting any space in the fridge or freezer.
Preserving food using jam jars is a method I use for keeping all sorts of foods: the fact that you can keep a cake fresh for up to a fortnight, or store a beef stew in a cupboard for a good 6 months without losing any flavour or colour, amazes me every time I do it. This method allows me to cook larger batches without having to find a space in my fridge or freezer to keep the leftovers. The key to preserving lies in the sterilising process: any old jam jar will do, as long as it can be sealed.
The recipe is for 1 kg of apples, any apples: simply double the recipe to suit your needs, add more sugar if they are on the acidic side, or use more water if they’re a little dry. It’s perfect for those not-quite-nice-enough-to-eat kind of apples, but even surplus cooking apples can be used, with a little extra sweetener. Obviously, honey or maple syrup can be used if you want to avoid sugar, but most apples are sweet enough on their own!
Steamed apples make an excellent filling for cakes, a refreshing topping for pancakes, and an amazing sauce to serve with pork chops. So what are you still waiting for?
Steamed Apple. lightly spiced (makes ca. 750ml)
- 1 kg apples, any type
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tsp sugar, to taste
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 whole cloves
Heat the oven to 160C / 320 F Clean 3 or 4 jam jars and their lids with soap, rinse them carefully and remove any metal lids or rubber seals. Place the glass jars upside down into the oven. Leave to dry for ca. 20 minutes, then switch the oven off.
Place the rubber seals and metal lids in a small bowl filled with water and bring it to the boil. Boil for ca. 5 minutes, then pour out the water and leave them to dry in the pan.
Peel and de-core the apples, cut them into quarters and place them into a medium-sized pan with the lemon juice and the water. If your apples are on the dry side, double the amount of water; if they are very sour, add more sugar. Similarly, add the spices to suit your tastes. I like just a hint of spice to bring out the apple taste, but you might fancy an altogether spicier dish. Bring the lot to the boil, then cover the pot and turn the heat down, leaving the apples to simmer lightly.
When the apples begin to fall apart, remove the spices and blitz the fruit until you get the consistency you’re after: my Mum served it quite chunky, whereas I always longed for a smooth puree.
Fill the hot steamed apples into the hot jars; close the lids firmly, then place the jars into a deep oven dish which you fill with boiling water, at least 2 in / 4 cm deep. Then return the jars to the oven: heat it to 90C / 90F and keep the jars in there for 35-40 minutes.
Remove, label and keep them in a cool and dark place. They’ll keep for a year, if you can hold out for that long!
Ginger&Bread 
When you put in the oven do you put a lid on the pan or is it left open. Have been wanting to try the oven preserving method. The applesauce looks wonderful and I’m with you I like it smooth.
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Hi Suzanne, I used the round baking tray on the picture – no need to cover anything! This method only works for smaller jars, up to a pint. For bigger jars you’d be better off sterilising them on the hob, in which case you will need to cover the pan.
You can sterilise the empty jars in the dishwasher, too, but I find using the oven works better for me as I won’t need to re-heat it to sterilise the food.
Good luck preserving!
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I am one of those with an apple tree, but my tree has yielded exactly 2 apples this year, haha! I will be trying steamed apples for sure when it behaves well again! Looks delicious!
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I suppose two’s company, but not enough company to start thinking about steaming apples! 😉
Better luck next year!
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I love the title! And all of the tips 🙂 I haven’t ventured into preserving either so this is very useful, thank you, although, much easier if you just send me some of yours….?! 😉
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No problem – although, as much as I preserve, if it’s sweet it doesn’t last very long in this house …
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I’ve made apple sauce in my bread maker in the past, it’s such a useful tool and keeps the mess to a minimum 🙂
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Great reminder! We have a pear tree which we’ll be getting back to in a week and it was loaded with fruit, so I’ll be getting busy. Why have I never thought of preserving a stew – just like a cassouolet, makes perfect sense! Love your labels, very professional 🙂
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A cassoulet would be ideal to preserve! As for the pears, you could even steam them in pieces, as they look so beautiful!
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What a cuty papers/stickers! Love it, Ginger! And apple puree has such a nice and delicate color! 🙂
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Trust me, I don’t usually take that much care labelling my jars, but as a result it’s often a bit pot luck when we get it out (caramel sauce or concentrated beef stock? The amount of times that I opened the wrong jar!). The kids love pureed apple, especially over pancakes and waffles.
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Hehe sounds funny , but better to not confuse sweet sauce with stock😄
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I wish I was in that situation :)- there is an apple tree (probably type of decorative apple, not regular) in front of our house, on the property of a neighbouring house (all rented appartments) – each year I walk past and watch the apples fall to the ground and rot, so one year I tried one, it tasted tart but good, so I picked up the windfall and made a tarte tatin, this year I picked more and made jam, (and a crostata which I gave to the owner of the house along with a pot of jam) the apples are beautiful and pink inside. The jam was so good I went back to get more, and the whole tree was picked bare, even the ground was bare…..:( I am guessing somebody spotted me, thought, GOOD idea 🙂
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Crostata sounds amazing! What a pity the neighbours caught on to your delicious plans!
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🙂 hm I so agree Ginger! Nasty Neighbours stopping me from rescuing the fruit from rotting..
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This sounds really good! I don’t have an apple tree, but I have a few friends who do, and they’ve shared their apples with me! 🙂
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Excellent – usually fruit trees either don’t bear any fruit, or so many that you don’t know what to do with them. Lucky you to have friends willing to share!
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wow that looks easy (ish) might give it a try this weekend!
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It is – if you’re planning on preserving it you need to sterilise the jars carefully and all that, but the apple sauce itself is a doddle. I hope you’ll enjoy it!
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