What can I make with Apple peels and Cores?

[DesertDance]

So, I have bushels of apples staring at me, and more on the tree. I peel, core and freeze the apples for sauce and pies.

Last June I tossed a lot of apple peels and cores into the compost pile. Then I thought... YOU ARE STUPID! Make some alcohol with it! Any recipes you care to share? I'm thinking add sugar and water and yeast and let the process begin. Suggestions?

Thanks!
Suzi

 

[Runningwolf]

Hi Suzi, I am not aware of any process for what you want to do. You're already using the best part that would normally be used. Your fermentation pail would certainly packed pretty full with the skins and cores so with the addition of water, enzyme and yeast you might get some apple flavor. Certainly worth a fun experiment.

 

[DesertDance]

It will be an experiment for sure. I could use frozen apple juice concentrate. I just hate to waste the cores and skins. Lots of good stuff on them. Skins and seeds might add some tannins? Of course they will get strained out. This deluge of apples happens yearly, so I'm determined to make hard cider or wine out of the waste.

 

[WVMountaineerJack]

Make it into cider first one the skins and then into vinegar, your own vinegar tastes so much better than the stuff in a bottle at the store! WVMJ

 

[BernardSmith]

Not sure about the health aspect of using large quantities of apple pips. Under normal conditions and in normal small quantities they are harmless but they do contain a potentially poisonous substance when taken in very large quantities is really not good for you.

 

[DesertDance]

Not sure what an apple pip is. Is it a seed? The seeds will be discarded like the wine grape seeds.

 

[richmke]

Apple seeds do contain cyanide. However, it is encased in the seed's hard shell. I'm guessing that as long as you do not crush the seeds prior to fermentation, and you remove the pulp within a week or so, that there is not enough time for the water or alcohol to leach out any material amount of the cyanide.

 

[ibglowin]

Make some excellent chicken or pig feed!

 

[DesertDance]

While I was sleeping, I pondered this seed thing and then I realized our Anna Apples don't have many seeds. One seed now and then. The reason for this is that the tree is UN-pollinated. It's an old tree that was here when we bought the property. The apples are pretty whonky looking. Nothing symmetrical about them. It needs a Golden Dorset for pollination, but we just enjoy the apples as is. I'm going to freeze the skins and cores until the entire tree is harvested.

Thanks for the vinegar link.

 

[olusteebus]

Apple seeds do contain cyanide. However, it is encased in the seed's hard shell. I'm guessing that as long as you do not crush the seeds prior to fermentation, and you remove the pulp within a week or so, that there is not enough time for the water or alcohol to leach out any material amount of the cyanide.

Yeah, probably. What the hay, how bad can cyanide laced wine really be?

 

[DesertDance]

I found many recipes online for apple wine using peels and cores. I have 2 batches going.
Batch One required simmering the apples, cores and peels for 15 minutes, adding sugar to the hot mix and after a day adding yeast and nutrients. It's a very hot active ferment! Batch two peels and apples are covered with boiling water and kept for several days until sugar and yeast are added. Time will tell which way is best.

 

[Runningwolf]

This i a really cool project you're doing right down to the core. I'm staying tuned in! Thanks for sharing.