Cookers

Looks like a good crop of cooking apples this year.

One of the key attributes of cooking apples is what happens during the cooking process - some cook down to a puree (useful for pie fillings), whilst others retain their some of their shape (useful for tarts with chunky fillings) or can be sliced and retain their shape (useful for French-style patisseries). In general the more acidic the apple the more likely it is to transform into a puree when heated, although the structure of the flesh is also a factor. The famous English Bramley apple is also one of the most acidic, hence is an ideal variety for recipes which call for apple puree.