Preserved+Cosmic+Crisp+Apples.jpg — Preserved Apples with Spices & Herbs

**By Chadwick Boyd**
PHOTO BY BROOKE SLEZAK

This year, I stumbled on UK Chef Gill Meller on Instagram (I highly encourage you to follow him). I am transfixed by the beauty of his recipes, especially the way he celebrates plant life and how enticing it can be on our plates. His new cookbook, “Root, Stem, Leaf, Flower,” is gorgeous - at least the parts that I have seen on his ‘gram and from the digital version I downloaded and pored over via Apple Books. The book is released in the United Kingdom, but the physical book does not arrive in the United States until Spring 2021. You can pre-order your copy here.

I was struck by Chef Meller’s Preserved Pears. There was a grace and simplicity to them that captivated me. Of all the canning and preserving I have done in my life, I have never preserved pears before. I also have never preserved apples - at least not until a few weeks ago. To make the recipe more festive for the holidays - and to make some special gifts for some treasured friends - I decided to adapt Chef Meller’s recipe and preserve Cosmic Crisp apples. He uses just apple cider vinegar. I opted to stir in red wine and up lush, green herbs to create a full-on holiday version. The apples are a bit tart in the preserving liquid, yet sublime.

I use 2 32-ounce sealable jars - I bought nice Italian ones since I was giving them as gifts. This recipe fits the two jars perfectly. As Chef Meller suggests, use any remaining preserving liquid to make a simple salad dressing or a reduction/pan sauce for beef, pork or chicken. The preserved apples are loverly paired with creamy cheeses, like Rogue Creamery Rogue River or Caveman Blue.

Chadwick’s Checklist

What you need to know before you cook.

You will need 2 32-ounce jars that have a solid, air-tight seal
Sterilize the jars by running them through the dishwasher with steam heat
Use a 4-quart Dutch Oven or larger to poach the Cosmic Crisp apples in the preserving liquid
If you don't have fresh bay leaf, use dried

SERVING SIZE: 2 32-oz jars PREP TIME: 15 mins COOKING TIME: 30 mins

Ingredients

8 10-ounce Cosmic Crisp apples
2½ cups granulated sugar
4¾ cups red wine vinegar
1 cup water
10 whole cloves
8 whole all spice
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
4 fresh bay leaves
4 fresh rosemary sprigs
4 fresh thyme sprigs
5-6 sprigs fresh fennel

Directions

Using a very sharp vegetable peeler, peel four of the apples. Then, cut all eight of the apples in half through the stem end. Reserve eight halves, four with skin and four without. Cut four of the remaining halves into quarters and the rest into eighths. The variation of sizes will allow the apples to fit nicely into the two jars.
Place all the apples in a 4-quart Dutch Oven over medium-high heat. Add the vinegar, water and sugar. Stir. Then, add the spices and herbs. Stir again. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally to help dissolve the sugar.
Place a lid on the pot, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 10-20 minutes until the apples are tender when inserting the tip of a knife into the largest pieces.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the apples to a large plate or platter. Let cool to the touch, 5 to 10 minutes. Divide the apples among two 32-ounce glass jars. Start with the larger halves first, facing the cut sides out.
Remove the herbs from the pot and tuck them around the sides of the jars. Use a table knife to help position them. Remove the spices from the pot and divide them evenly among the jars as well.
Pour the preserving liquid into the jars. Reserve any leftover liquid to use for salad dressings.
Seal the jars with their lids and leave on the counter for the jars to cool completely, at least two hours. Wipe the jars with a soapy, damp cloth to remove any sticky residue.
Store in a cool, dark spot until ready to gift or eat. Tie a beautiful wide, red ribbon around the lid before gifting.