A number of weeks back my sister gifted me with a jar of Pickled Apple Slices. She always makes the neatest things. I had heard of pickled crab apples, but never of sliced pickled apples. I was very keen to try them.

They were delicious.  A bit spicy. A bit tart.  A bit sweet.  I enjoyed eating them right out of the jar as a snack, they were so good.  Before I knew it the jar was empty, and I had to make my own!

 

 

 

HOW TO MAKE PICKLED APPLE SLICES

These are really a very simple make and oh so tasty when done. Prepare to fall in love with them! You don't have to make three jars; it would be simple to cut the recipe down to make just one if that is all you wanted or needed.  Since they are not heat processed, they do need to be eaten up within a month of making.

Prepare your jars by washing and drying three, pint (2 cup/16 ounces/500ml) canning jars and lids. Set aside.

Stir the vinegar, water sugar and salt together in a small, non-reactive, saucepan. Add cinnamon sticks and star anise. Warm gently over medium heat until sugar and salt are completely dissolved, stirring occasionally.

Remove and reserve the cinnamon sticks and star anise, once the sugar and salt have dissolved. Transfer the brine to a large pitcher or measuring cup and place in the refrigerator to cool.

Peel the shallots and slice very thin. Trim the jalapeno, remove the core and seeds and slice very thin as well. Set aside.

Wash and trim the celery. Slice this very thin also. Wash the apples. Do not peel. them. Core and slice thinly.

Once you have prepared all of the fruit and vegetables, begin filling the canning jars in layers. Start with the cinnamon and star anise, then add a little bit of the shallot and jalapeno, followed by celery and apples, dividing the mixture as evenly as possible amongst the three jars.

When the jars are half full, tuck the rosemary sprig down one side, so that it is visible from the outside of the jar. This looks the prettiest.

Keep adding shallots, jalapenos, apples and celery until all three jars are packed as tightly as possible. (Depending upon the size of your apples, all the slices may not fit. Trim as needed.)

Once the jars are packed, carefully pour the cooled brine (it should be lukewarm) into the jars. It should cover everything completely. (You can top them up with a mix of two parts cider vinegar and one part water If you don’t have quite enough brine to fill them completely.)

As these pickled apples are not being processed in a hot water bath, they MUST be stored in the refrigerator.

Leave to stand in the refrigerator for at least a day before eating and consume within a month of making for the best flavor.

 

Preserving is a great way of saving some of the bounty we bring into our homes. Sometimes they are things which we can preserve for a longer time and other times they are something which we need to eat up quickly like these pickled apples. Either way they are a lovely way to enhance an already delicious meal or to enjoy as a snack.  Here are some others which I have made and enjoyed!

REFRIGERATOR BREAD & BUTTER PICKLES - A simple brine is made and poured over cucumbers and onions, along with a few seeds, in jars.  The jars are then left in the refrigerator to "age" for a few weeks. These are lovely on a sandwich plate or even inside a sandwich.  I also enjoy them right out of the jar!

DILL PICKLED GREEN BEANS - The recipe makes only four pints of pickled beans. They are lovely. Delicious. Crisp.  Not too garlicky. With a tiny bit of heat and a lovely dill flavor. Beautiful on buffet tables and on the side of any meal. They do need to be processed in a water bath to keep them beyond a week or two.

SAME DAY SUMMER PICKLES - Three varieties of quick pickled vegetables. All crisp. All delicious.  Cabbage and Fennel.  Carrot and Radish.  Beetroot and Horseradish. Cucumber and Dill. Perfect for a salad buffet.  They do only make 2 servings a piece but could very easily be multiplied up to serve more. Colorful and delicious!

Yield: 3 Pint-sized jars

Author: Marie Rayner

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Pickled Apple Slices

These are fabulously tangy, sweet, and delicious. They are great on their own as a snack, or on a cheese board with cheese, tucked into grilled cheese sandwiches, etc.

Ingredients

• 2 cups (500 mL) cider vinegar
• 1 cup (250 mL) water
• 1 cup (200 g) white sugar
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 3 whole star anise
• 2 tablespoons (28 g) coarse kosher salt
• 1 large or two small shallots
• 1/2 jalapeño pepper
• 1 rib celery
• 3 large, sweet apples (I used Honey Crisp)
• 3 sprigs fresh rosemary (each about 3 inches/7.5 cm in length)

Instructions

1. Prepare your jars by washing and drying three, pint (2 cup/16 ounces/500ml) canning jars and lids. Set aside.
2. Stir the vinegar, water sugar and salt together in a small, non-reactive, saucepan. Add cinnamon sticks and star anise. Warm gently over medium heat until sugar and salt are completely dissolved, stirring occasionally.
3. Remove and reserve the cinnamon sticks and star anise, once the sugar and salt have dissolved. Transfer the brine to a large pitcher or measuring cup and place in the refrigerator to cool.
4. Peel the shallots and slice very thin. Trim the jalapeno, remove the core and seeds and slice very thin as well. Set aside.
5. Wash and trim the celery. Slice this very thin also.
6. Wash the apples. Do not peel. them. Core and slice thinly.
7. Once you have prepared all of the fruit and vegetables, begin filling the canning jars in layers. Start with the cinnamon and star anise, then add a little bit of the shallot and jalapeno, followed by celery and apples, dividing the mixture as evenly as possible amongst the three jars.
8. When the jars are half full, tuck the rosemary sprig down one side, so that it is visible from the outside of the jar. This looks the prettiest.
9. Keep adding shallots, jalapenos, apples and celery until all three jars are packed as tightly as possible. (Depending upon the size of your apples, all the slices may not fit. Trim as needed.)
10. Once the jars are packed, carefully pour the cooled brine (it should be lukewarm) into the jars. It should cover everything completely. (You can top them up with a mix of two parts cider vinegar and one part water If you don’t have quite enough brine to fill them completely.)
11. As these pickled apples are not being processed in a hot water bath, they MUST be stored in the refrigerator.
12. Leave to stand in the refrigerator for at least a day before eating and consume within a month of making for the best flavor.

Did you make this recipe?

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SUNDAY, October 20th - Belated Thanksgiving Dinner

Because everyone else had Covid on Thanksgiving this year, we ended up having a belated Thanksgiving Dinner at my sister's place on Sunday.  We picked up some Fried Chicken from Mary Browns and my sister made Mom's Potato and Bread Stuffing, and her special sweet potatoes.

We also had peas and corn, taters and gravy. Dessert was cherry pie with whipped cream on top. Nobody missed the turkey. (Well, I did a little bit.)  Having everyone well and together was really something to be thankful for however and our dinner was very good!

MONDAY, October 21st - Tender Beef and Noodles

I had a pretty busy day on Monday and so I took one of my meals from out of the freezer that I had cooked previously.  Tender Beef and Noodles. (I cooked the noodles fresh. It was only the beef and gravy that were frozen.) What you have here is some tender and juicy, fall apart, melt in the mouth pieces of beef in a lush gravy, served with hot buttred noodles.

I cooked some mixed veggies on the side to try to get in some of my five a day!

TUESDAY, October 22nd - Chicken and Garlic Potatoes Casserole

I had brought a couple of pieces of chicken home from Sunday dinner and so I decided to make a delicious casserole with them. I did a small batch of this one. The original recipe makes six servings, but I cut it way back to serve only one as I only had enough chicken for one.

This is a simple and delicious chicken casserole which makes good use of leftover chicken and store cupboard ingredients.  It is like a pot pie, with a lush gravy, but instead is topped with a potato crust of thinly sliced buttery garlic potatoes.  Delicious with some salad on the side.

WEDNESDAY, October 23rd - Dinner out with Dad and Hazel

 I met my father and Hazel at The Big Scoop for our usual Wednesday night dinner out. I had a new item on their menu, the chargrilled Pork Chop dinner. It was surprisingly good!  I chose to have chips with it this time, and it came with peas, carrots, applesauce, coleslaw and a roll.  All for $12.99.  I was really happy with it. It made a nice change from the usual.

In it's place I am sharing my Easy Greek Pork Chops. This easy Greek Pork Chop recipe is marinated so that you can achieve maximum flavor and tenderness without having to cook them long and slow.  In fact, aside from the marinating time, you can have these done and on the table in not much more than fifteen minutes.

THURSDAY, October 24th - Tomato Soup with Everything Bagel Biscuits

It was a beautiful sunny day on Thursday, but the temperatures were starting to drop! I opted for a simple supper of Tomato Soup.  I did make my soup from scratch. The link is there. I have shared it before.  On this day I chose to accompany it with some delicious biscuits rather than a grilled cheese sandwich.

I had biscuits leftover from the day before and I thought to myself, waste not want not.  I simply reheated them in a slow oven and they were as delicious as they had been on the day they were baked.

FRIDAY, October 25th - Fish Fingers, Chips and Beans

I spent a great part of the day out shopping with my sister and I was pretty tired when I got back. I got everything put away and then just opted for a simple supper of Fish Fingers, Chips and Beans. This is a great comfort food kind of a supper. It can be as simple as opening frozen packets and tins, popping the fish and chips into the oven and the beans into a saucepan to heat up. I, however, always like to add a little twist to my baked beans.  They always come out flavorful and tangy.

Not the healthiest option, but not the worse either! Made a nice change, albeit a bit naughty! You could make your own fish fingers from scratch if you are really keen. There is a great recipe here. 

SATURDAY, October 26th - Chili Cheese Dog Hot Dish 

I finished off the week with one of my all-time favorite casseroles. Chili Cheese Dog Hot Dish. I adore hotdogs, which I know not everyone does.  They really shine in this delicious, simple casserole which is a riff on Chili dogs.  A delicious store-cupboard meal it goes together very simply.

The base is a mix of sliced hot dogs, a can of chili and a few other bits.  This gets topped with grated cheese and some frozen tater tots.  This gets baked until everything is bubbling away and then just before serving, and when the tater tops are crispy, you can sprinkle a bit more cheese on top and let it melt.  Oh boy but this is some good.

If you are looking for simple and delicious, you really can't go wrong with this!  I enjoyed it with a nice salad on the side.

This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com