Apple Rescue

The wetter than usual summer seems to have resulted in a glut of autumn fruit. We have been given pears and quince and apples from various friends and family and I've mostly used them up making quince paste and apple desserts.

I've had a last bag of apples from a friend sitting on the bench for the last 3 weeks. They had spots and blemishes on them  so despite them being a delicious eating apple no-one felt inclined to eat them. Everyday I would look at them and think how I must do something with them. I was determined not to let them go to waste so they kept sitting there...

This morning I bit the bullet and got out my trusty apple peeler/corer/slicer - that present my sister gave me years ago that I thought at the time was an odd thing to gift - but on discovering what it does is now one of my most favoured kitchen tools. It makes quick work of a pile of apples - so I really had no excuse to not get and and deal to these ones! Better late than never I guess!

I made a pot of stewed apple which was delicious on my breakfast with a sprinkling of cinnamon on top. I really enjoyed the flavour and marvelled at how something that had been starting to look unappealing to eat as it sat there ignored, became appetising and worthy of savouring once it had been prepared an cooked. It was as if a form of alchemy had been performed right there in my kitchen!
 

I despair at my procrastination when I look at how little time and effort this took to do and the end result which tasted so good. I still don't know what was stopping me from getting on and dealing with this gift from a friend. That bag wouldn't have been cluttering my bench (and the corner of my mind it took up every time I saw it sitting there) if I'd just got on and done it! Funny how that bag of apples represents so many other things in my house, my life and my mind...