It's time for apple preparations, I cooked them honey jam, jam I made apple cider vinegar from the apples for the pies, which I let sit in the cupboard.
I made charlotte and apple pies, and treated neighbors and family to juicy apples. And again, we collected a whole bucket.
So I decided to make compote from whole apples.
I've never made apple compote for the winter, especially not with whole apples. A long time ago, I made compotes with small whole pears and added sultanas. The compote was delicious.
I used Tolunai apples for the compote; they're small, beautiful, and delicious. This year, the branches are literally covered in apples, making them smaller than usual.
I washed the apples well and removed the stalks where I could, but for some reason they wouldn’t come off.
I placed the mixture in sterile jars—two 2-liter jars and one 3-liter jar—about halfway up. I poured boiling water over the jars, covered them with lids, and let them sit for 20 minutes.
The apples have started to absorb the water, and bubbles are appearing. The apples need to warm up.
After 20 minutes, I poured the water into a saucepan, having first measured the volume.
I made syrup using 1.5 cups of sugar per 1 liter of water. I poured the boiling syrup into the jars of apples, filling them to the very top—a heaping amount, so to speak. This is how you pour marinades and compotes, to remove any excess air. My mother always did it this way, and now I do it too. I place the jars on a plate before pouring.
I sealed the jars with sterile lids and placed them upside down on a towel. If the lids aren't tightly sealed, wet spots and water droplets will appear on the towel, which is immediately noticeable. I'm fine with this; the jars are sealed tightly, and my husband is doing his best.
Well, the last step is to wrap yourself in a warm blanket so that the compote warms up well.
I took the compote out of its warm hiding place the next day, while the jars were still warm. The compote was light in color, even though the apples were pink with a yellow side. They turned yellow in the compote.
I thought the syrup would turn pink. Hopefully, the compote will steep and the apples will impart their color and flavor to the sauce. The apples cracked a little from the boiling water, but the compote still looks delicious. We'll be enjoying it this winter!
Oh, I should have added some red currants or cherries, just a little bit for a beautiful color. The berries are still hanging on the bushes.