Candied Apples and Family Recipes

I knew I was late posting a Thanksgiving recipe for a reason.

The reason is, so that I can start a new year by being a part of:

 

Family Recipes is an event hosted by Shelby of "The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch", Laura of "the Spiced Life", and Lynda of "Lynda's Recipe Box".

Check it out here for complete details.

 

 

I always call dishes such as these, weird foods from my youth, (we have a lot of them)  because I've never seen anyone else make them, EVER.

I'm sure they do, because I used to think that my grandma's hot buttered rum recipe was a family secret too, but have since found out that it's a "very popular" recipe for homemade batter.

By now, I'm sure you're wondering what?  What is she making that is so "weird"?   (but good).

I will tell you...

Candied Apples.

 

My great-grandmother made them:  Lillian Staggs

My grandmother made them:  Irene Shaver

My mother makes them:  Beverly Hambelton

and I make them: Debbie Stone

and I love them.  They are a tradition.

 

The handwritten recipe below comes from my great-grandmother, Lillian.

(notice no paragraphs or punctuation)

 

Notice that she says it makes a "colorful" dish.

And that's the truth.

These are not the candied apples of carnivals...

...but more of a spiced/cinnamon whole applesauce kind of thing.

Like a baked apple, only not baked.

cooked on top of the stove

Candied Apples 

 (taken verbatim from my great-grandmother)

I get apples about the same size

I've always cooked them in that heavy frying pan

about twelve or thirteen apples.

Core your apples first and peel

fill centers with those little red cinnamon candies and  put

enough sugar over them so juice thickens about like Jelly

and I keep turning them with two forks until they

are tender generally a few at a time are ready to take out

if the juice gets too thick I keep pouring a little water to it as they cook and I add red food coloring from the first thats what colors them red

Hope you can read and make this out

you can rewrite it if you can read it once

I think that's all there is to it.

It makes a colorful dish

Love, grandmother

Now I will translate:

find about 8-12 small apples that cook up well  (won't turn mushy)

Actually,  Rome apples work well, or Golden Delicious.

Peel and core them.

place in a heavy frying pan

fill with "red hots"  (little cinnamon candies)

pour extra candies around the apples.

Add a bit of water and a bit of sugar, and a bit of red food coloring

simmer apples , until candies melt and you think the apples are "red" all the way thru.

Keep in fridge, serve cold.

The Trick is to try and get the "red" color all the way thru the apples without them turning to "mush".

you want them whole, like a baked apple.

Sadly, I didn't get a picture of the finishes product.

Here we go.....

Counting to see how many apples will fit in the pan.

Peeled, cored and filled with red hots!

It is okay if there is a bit of peel left on the apple. It happens.

My mother adding a bit of sugar...she was very fast.

Consider this a "action" shot.

She has her old Tupperware scoop. It's been in our sugar bin since I was a kid.

Another "action" shot.... as she began to turn the apples.  I don't think she was using "2 forks", but some tongs.

My mom never quite got the "hold it...I'm going to take a picture" of this candied apple making process.

Pouring the "juice" over and over and over the apples, so they get the color thru and the "red hot" flavor.

My mom.  On the phone.  While making candied apples for me.

Ta-Da!!

We always serve these apples as a....

not really a salad

nor a dessert

but, rather,

with the cranberries.

If you like applesauce, baked apples or apple pie. 

(or red hots, fire styx,  atomic fireballs, all candies of the 1960's and 70's , or candied apples from your old carnival days)

You'll probably like these.

I am submitting this to the Family Recipe Event.