You can make apple or apple based jellies from small apples. As long as they are washed you can use them as is. I have just made mint jelly using early windfalls. I will not give any specific recipes because my methods would not meet US criteria but I pressure cook the fruit with a little water until it turns to mush, strain through a jelly bag and use the resultant liquid for the jelly. I'm sure someone can give you a more detailed, approved recipe.

Agree with floral that using them to make jelly would be the easiest I think. Scrubbed well and cooked down, then strained. Since they are windfalls they will need some added bottled lemon juice - or you can use lime juice and make Lime -Apple Jelly or Lime-Mint-Apple Jelly.

Floral how do you pressure cook them in an aluminum cooker? Ceramic bowl inside the cooker? That would really speed up the process.

Dave

Sounds like I should make some jelly. We don't eat a lot of jelly, so maybe I can gift some of this to friends. I have never done a mint jelly, I am not sure that sounds appealing to me. Maybe a small batch is in order. Thank you both for your advice. I have an electric pressure cooker with a nonstick surface. Can't recall the capacity, but it is not huge so I would have to cook them in batches if I want to go that route. I hadn't thought about using an insert for my aluminum pressure cooker...

Thanks!

I just pressure cook them. No ceramic bowl. I pc the oranges for marmalade too.

Mint Jelly is the classic accompaniment to roast lamb. It's not for slathering on toast. It's a form of mint sauce you can use through the winter so I only ever make a few small jars to last one winter's worth of roasts. I add vinegar for the required zing.

Ok I was just concerned about the acidic reaction with the aluminum - you know the "don't use a reactive pan when cooking acidic foods or you get a metallic flavor" claim.

Mint Jelly doesn't appeal to me either. It was just an example. The Lime-Apple Jelly is good though. So is Cinnamon Apple Jelly but you have to add additional acid to it. Windfall/ground apples are low-acid.

If jelly doesn't appeal then I suppose you could cook them down and make applesauce out of them. I know some leave the peels in their applesauce even though you aren't supposed to. And again you'd have to add acid or citric acid.

Dave

Ok, Floral, now that makes more sense to me. Uncultured country girl here! :) The lime apple jelly does sound good, so I think I will give that one a try for something a little different. I will make sure to add the extra acid. Thanks!!

If you are into alcohol... you could try to make a batch of hard cider. 10 gallons of apples would grind and juice out to a fairly small batch of cider. Depending on how juicy your apples are of course.

I think that cinnamon is much more used in sweet foods in the US than over here. I've just come back from California and have to say I really disliked some of the candies I had. Innocently thinking a red sweet was fruit flavoured it was a nasty shock to find a mouthful of harsh, hot cinnamon. It's just a question of what you are used to. As I said, Mint Jelly (spearmint, not peppermint) is a British classic. You just have a spoonful on the side of your plate, much like other tart jellies, such as redcurrant or rowan, eaten with meats. Until you have tried it with roast lamb I would not dismiss it.

The pressure cooker doesn't flavour the jelly. The apples are only in it for about 10 minutes.

Here's a recipe from the US. Mint Jelly