how do you preserve hedge apples

How to Preserve Hedge Apples for Display

• Step 1 Pick the hedge apples with the stem intact just before the peak of their ripeness. ...
• Step 2 Tie a piece of twine or string to the stem of each hedge apple. ...
• Step 3 Hang the apples from a shelf or other ledge. ...
• Step 4 Leave the apples for one to three weeks while they dry. ...
• Step 5 ...

Full Answer

What do you do with hedge apples?

The most common use for hedge apples that I could find in my research was found with the wood. It is extremely hard, heavy, tough, and durable. Many archers consider the wood to be the finest wood for bows. It is also used for fence posts and furniture.

How do you keep hedge apples fresh?

Preserving Hedge Apples To preserve hedge apples, tie a piece of string to their stems and hang them upside-down from a nail, ledge or shelf. If they touch each other during the preservation process, they could turn brown, so keep them far apart to prevent discoloration.

How do you process hedge apples?

0:472:35Hedge apple seeds turned into beauty oils - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd we'll do this a few times and the seeds will become very clean. And we just pour them into theMoreAnd we'll do this a few times and the seeds will become very clean. And we just pour them into the screen. I'm pretty obsessed with getting every seed. At this point you hate to throw them away.

How long does a hedge apple last?

Dispose of hedge apples once the majority of the green skin has disappeared. Hedge apples will last two to three months in a cool room or area.

How do you dry whole hedge apples?

Pick the hedge apples with the stem intact just before the peak of their ripeness. ... Tie a piece of twine or string to the stem of each hedge apple. ... Hang the apples from a shelf or other ledge. ... Leave the apples for one to three weeks while they dry.More items...

How do you prolong the life of fresh apples?

Keeping apples in a cool, dark place will help them stay crisp. The best way to keep apples fresh is to store them in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator in separate plastic bags. Alternatively, you can place a damp towel on top of the apples to help them maintain moisture.

Is it safe to eat a hedge apple?

You may come upon these gorgeous and appealing fruits and wonder, “Can you eat hedge apples?” Unfortunately, hedge apples are not appropriate for human eating due to their sticky latex secretions and woody pulp. Squirrels and chipmunks, on the other hand, may consume these fruits.

Where do you put hedge apples?

– simply gather the hedge apples and place them around the foundation of your home. You don't need to bring them inside, you can just place them around the outside. – Focus on areas where pests seem to be a problem. This could be the foundation that supports your basement or even kitchen.

How do you get seeds out of hedge apples?

Extract the Hedge Apple Seeds Fill a bowl with cool water. Working over the bowl, prick out the seeds with the end of a wood skewer, allowing them to fall in the water. If necessary, cut the hedge apple again to gain access to more seeds.

Do hedge apples really repel spiders?

Myth: "Hedge apples" (Osage orange fruit) or horse chestnuts can be used to repel spiders. Fact: The story that the fruit of the Osage orange tree (also called hedge apple, monkey ball, or spider ball) can repel or ward off spiders turns out to be extremely widespread in Midwestern states, where the trees are common.

Can you touch hedge apples?

Hedge Apples and Humans The American Association of Poison Control Centers list hedge apples as nontoxic. For more straightforward fruits, this would be the end of the debate. However, hedge apples contain both sticky and irritating substances that can result in dermatitis.

Is Osage orange the same as hedge apples?

No matter what you call it, there's no question that the tree known botanically as Maclura pomifera is a unique curiosity. Depending on where you're from, this tree has such names as hedge-apple, osage orange, bodark, bowwood and bois d'arc!

Do apples last longer in the fridge or on the counter?

They prefer the refrigeration. Apples keep longest when held at 31-36 degrees Fahrenheit. So, you want to keep them in the coolest part of the refrigerator. Most home refrigerators don't get that cold because the rest of your food would freeze, but the colder the better.

How do you keep an apple from turning brown after it's cut?

Here's the short version: The best way to prevent browning is to soak the cut fruit in a saltwater solution (half a teaspoon of kosher salt per cup of water) for 10 minutes, then drain and store until ready to use. The mild salt flavor can be rinsed off with tap water before serving.

Why should you not put apples in the fridge?

Apples, Pears: You can refrigerate these fruits, but you don't need to. The cold air inside the refrigerator tends to break down their crisp texture. Leave them out on the counter. But if you prefer your fruit cold, go ahead and refrigerate.

How do you keep a cut up apple from turning brown?

To use this method to prevent apples from turning brown, create a water bath for your apple slices with a ratio of 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to 1 cup of water. Soak the apple slices for 3 to 5 minutes, then drain and rinse them. This simple step should keep your apples from browning for several hours.

Choosing the Best Fruit Before Preserving Apples

There are many apple varieties, and choosing the right type is essential, depending on how you plan on preserving them. Some of them are extremely sweet and perfect for eating raw while others, such as Granny Smith, are ideal for baking.

Ways to Preserve Apples in the Home

While there are a few ways to preserve apples, the counter and refrigerator are best if you plan on snacking on your fruits throughout the week. However, there are some steps to follow to keep them fresh the longest.

How to Preserve Apples in the Freezer

The best way to preserve apples is in the freezer, if you don’t want to refrigerate apples or have too many. It’s pretty straightforward, and no special equipment is involved. Frozen apple slices are useful for adding to smoothies, pancakes, and apple pie.

Canning Apples for Long Term Storage

Canning apple slices is a relatively simple chore and extends your apples’ life by up to a year. They are useful for making into applesauce and apple pie filling, or straight from the jar. This basic canned apples recipe uses ten to twelve pounds of apples.

Preserving Apples by Making Apple Butter

To preserve fresh apples by making them into a sweet and comforting spread, try making homemade apple butter. It’s similar to thick applesauce but with a bit of tang, and using a slow cooker makes the job nearly effortless. Try it on ice cream or buttered toast.

Save Apples by Making Applesauce

Nothing says autumn more than a bowl of applesauce topped with a sprinkling of cinnamon and nutmeg. This four-ingredient recipe takes only three steps to prepare.

Ways to Preserve Apples by Dehydrating

Dried apples are a healthy snack for on-the-go and liven up just about anything from chicken-rice soup to a hot bowl of oatmeal. Drying them takes little effort in the oven or dehydrator, and they last about six months in the pantry.

Did You Know?

Although it is believed that apples were first grown in the Far East and Orient, apple trees were also grown and prized by the people of ancient Rome.

Selection

Apples are a favorite fruit of many people for eating out of hand, in fresh salads, or in a wide variety of cooked products. When shopping, look for fruit free of blemishes and breaks in the skin since these can encourage spoilage and decay. Also make sure you are “in season” for optimal quality. Most apples ripen in September/October.

Pre-Treatment

Pre-treatments prevent fruits from darkening. Many light-colored fruits, such as apples, darken rapidly when cut and exposed to air. If not pre-treated, these fruits will continue to darken during the preservation process. Some of the most common pre-treatments are explained below:

Syrup Solutions

To make syrup, dissolve sugar in lukewarm water, mixing until the solution is clear. The following table provides the relative amounts of sugar to use for different types of syrup.

Freezing

Select full-flavored apples that are crisp and firm, not mealy in texture. Wash, peel and core. Slice medium apples into twelfths, large apples into sixteenths.

Canning

As with all preservation methods, select firm ripe fruit that is free of blemishes for optimum results. Adding syrup to canned fruit helps to retain its flavor, color, and shape. It does not prevent spoilage of these foods.

Drying

General guidelines: As is true for freezing and canning, pre-treating apples before drying them will result in a final product with better color retention. Apples are best treated by dipping briefly in a pre-treatment solution.

Decorating With Hedge Apples

According to the team at Specialty Produce, hedge apples are round and fairly sizable, averaging about 3 to 6 inches in diameter. They tend to be lopsided and somewhat lumpy, with tough, yellow-green and deeply grooved surfaces. In fact, some people compare their strange-looking appearance to that of the human brain.

Preserving Hedge Apples

When you buy hedge apples, they may feel soft to the touch; for this reason, you need to preserve them for decorating. It's not a good idea to skip this step before using Osage oranges, because they can turn brown and start to rot if kept in a warm house. They can also turn brown if you decide to heat them in your oven.

Osage Orange Decorating Ideas

The light lime green-yellow color of hedge apples provides a nice contrast to dark green, white, orange and deep red, making them a good addition to holiday arrangements. The writers at Lancaster Online share a photo featuring a planter filled with greenery, red berries, white flowers and a hedge apple.

What are hedge apples?

Hedge apples are the fruit of the Osage-Orange tree. This is a rather small tree that stays short in stature.

Can you eat hedge apples?

Hedge apples are not poisonous, however they are not suitable for eating due to their flavor and rough form. Hedge apples have a very tough exterior and bitter interior.