In season: apples

It is with great pleasure that I can say the season of the apple is upon us. It has come to that time of year when shops and markets nationwide are brimming with wonderful Worcester, Discovery, Crab Apple and other varieties that are all harvested in early autumn. Year-round international imports render our local varieties underappreciated but autumn is the season to change this and savour the honest English apple.
Whether for cooking or immediate devouring, now is the moment to discover your favourite brand (personally I choose Russets – delightfully crisp!). To give you some encouragement, here’s an extraordinarily simple recipe for stewed apple that can be eaten as a pancake filling, apple crumble base or with yoghurt for breakfast.

Ingredients

Apples, butter and sugar in the ratio 10:1:1 (e.g. 300g apple, 30g butter, 30g sugar). Cooking apples, such as Bramley, will stew easily but normal apples will do just as well if a potato masher is used – an excellent way to use up old fruit. Optional extras are raisins, cinnamon and lemon zest.

Method

Peel and core the apples and chop into small chunks. Melt the butter into a saucepan and add the sugar. When the sugar has gone a light brown colour, tip in the apple, adding lemon zest if using. Leave to soften for about 5 minutes. Mash if necessary then mix in the raisins and cinnamon if desired.